Seoul ratifies revised FTA with Washington

SEOUL, Dec 09 (Reuters): Republic of Korea (ROK)'s parliament has ratified a revised bilateral free trade agreement with the United States, the trade ministry said, paving the way for the deal to come into effect on January 1 with the main impact on automakers.

Under the revision, the countries agreed to extend US tariffs on Korean pickup trucks by 20 years until 2041.

US automakers will also be able to ship 50,000 vehicles per automaker that meet US safety standards, not necessarily Korean standards, up from 25,000 vehicles previously.

The United States is South Korea's long-standing ally and second biggest trading partner after China.

The ministry statement said it would prepare for the new deal's implementation from the New Year, as targeted by both sides, through discussions with the US government.

The two nations signed the altered agreement in September, but needed approval from their legislatures.