South Korea's industry ministry said Friday it plans to work closely with local exporters to take joint action against protectionism policies in China and the United States.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held a conference on the ongoing trade barriers put up by the two countries, discussing ways to deal with restrictions that may impact businesses.

The conference came as Beijing is carrying out anti-dumping investigations into South Korean stainless steel and phenol, a chemical compound used to make some antiseptics, medicines and plastics.

Along with these two products, the ministry said that as of this month, China has taken action on 14 product categories.

China is South Korea's largest trade partner.

The ministry said it has been making various efforts to persuade China to ease current trade practices by sending letters to related authorities and holding meetings with Beijing officials.

The government also shared its knowhow on trade-related lawsuits involving Washington, including information on the process for legal disputes at the U.S. Court of International Trade.

South Korea will continue making efforts to respond effectively to trade barriers around the globe and help local firms to ship goods to overseas markets, the ministry added.