US President Donald Trump on Monday said tariffs on a broad range of South Korean imports would be raised to 25 per cent, up from the existing 15 per cent. This raise would be imposed on automobiles, lumber, and pharmaceuticals.
Trump said the decision was prompted by what he described as the South Korean legislature’s failure to uphold commitments under an existing trade agreement with the United States.
The announcement was made on Truth Social, where Trump wrote, “Because the Korean Legislature hasn’t enacted our Historic Trade Agreement, which is their prerogative, I am hereby increasing South Korean TARIFFS on Autos, Lumber, Pharma, and all other Reciprocal TARIFFS, from 15% to 25%.” There was no immediate clarity on whether the higher duties have already taken effect.
South Korea is among the United States’ largest trading partners, exporting goods worth USD 132 billion to the US in 2024, Commerce Department figures show. Automobiles and auto components account for a significant share of these exports, along with semiconductors and electronic products, which are industries that may now see cost pressures from the tariff increase.
The move reverses a trade arrangement outlined in July, when Trump had announced a flat 15 per cent tariff on South Korean imports, a figure notably lower than levels he had earlier proposed.
Under that earlier understanding, Trump had also said Seoul agreed to “give to the United States $350 Billion Dollars for Investments owned and controlled by the United States, and selected by myself, as President.”
He further said the step came after what he called repeated delays by lawmakers in Seoul. “President Lee and and I reached a Great Deal for both Countries on July 30, 2025,” he wrote, noting that the agreement was reiterated during his subsequent visit to Korea that year. “Why hasn’t the Korean Legislature approved it?”
This latest escalation follows several earlier tariff threats by the Trump administration that were ultimately not enforced. These included a proposed 10 per cent tariff on Canada after Ontario aired an anti-tariff World Series advertisement, possible duties on European countries linked to Greenland, and a 100 per cent tariff on Canada floated over the weekend.
The development also comes against the backdrop of legal challenges to Trump’s use of trade powers. In November, the US Supreme Court heard arguments questioning tariffs imposed without congressional approval, with some justices expressing doubts over the president’s authority to introduce such measures independently.
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