	seoul announces more tariff cuts for u s south korea will cut import taxes on items including construction equipment photographic film cigarettes and pipe tobacco to help reduce its  surplus with the united states the finance ministry said the tariff cuts of between five and percentage points take effect on july this brings to the number of goods on which import taxes have been cut this year a ministry official said the are among about items on which washington has asked seoul to lower tariffs he added today s announcement follows saturday s removal of import curbs on products for of those products the u s had had sought free access to the south korean market this is in line with the government s policy to limit our  surplus with the united states to help reduce  friction between the two countries the official said south korea s  surplus with the u s rose to billion dlrs in from billion in officials said the surplus was expected to widen further in but seoul would try to hold it below eight billion dlrs the finance ministry said tariffs would be cut later this month on a further items including acrylic yarn and ethylene by an average percentage points in order to check inflation the officials said the tariff cuts would contribute to holding wholesale and consumer price rises at less than three pct this year reuter 
