The start date for the Tennessee factory now being built has been moved forward from a previous target of Feb. 2019, Jo Seong-Jin, who is also vice chairman of LG Electronics, said on the sidelines of a trade show.

In November, the U.S. International Trade Commision recommended tariffs to keep LG and domestic rival Samsung Electronics from selling inexpensive washers in the U.S. market, a step that would benefit American appliance maker Whirlpool Corp.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)