South Korea’s Finance Minister, Ko Yun-cheol, pledged on Tuesday to make every effort to reach a “mutually beneficial” trade agreement with the United States, as the deadline for ongoing negotiations rapidly approaches.

Minister Ko is scheduled to meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant on Thursday—just one day before the U.S. administration, under President Donald Trump, is set to implement retaliatory tariffs on key South Korean exports.

In a bid to avert the looming trade measures, which could see tariffs of up to 25% imposed on selected Korean goods, Seoul has intensified its diplomatic outreach in recent days. The South Korean government fears that the failure to reach a deal could significantly impact the country’s export-reliant economy, particularly its industrial and technology sectors.