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U.S. President Donald Trump, right, speaks during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Washington.
| Photo Credit: AP
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday (January 26, 2026) that he would raise tariffs on South Korean goods, including autos, lumber and pharmaceuticals, accusing the country of not living up to an earlier trade pact struck with Washington.
The increase would bring tariff levels from 15% to 25%.
“South Korea’s Legislature is not living up to its Deal with the United States,” Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He added that he was increasing tariff rates “because the Korean Legislature hasn’t enacted our Historic Trade Agreement, which is their prerogative.”
South Korea’s Presidential office said it had not been informed about the tariff hike plans in advance.
It said Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan, currently in Canada, would head to Washington for talks on the issue with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Mr. Trump’s apparent about-face comes months after Washington and Seoul struck a trade and security deal, capping a period of tense negotiations.
The agreement was finalised after Mr. Trump met his South Korean counterpart Lee Jae Myung in October, and included investment promises by South Korea alongside tariff cuts by the United States.
Since then it remained in something of a legal limbo in South Korea.
Seoul’s Presidential office insisted in November that the deal does not require parliamentary approval, arguing it represents a memorandum of understanding rather than a binding legal document.
Asked whether the tariff deal had been submitted to parliament for approval, a senior official told AFP on Tuesday (January 27, 2026) they were looking into it but did not elaborate.
Under the pact, Washington would maintain levies of up to 15 percent on South Korean goods including vehicles, car parts and pharmaceuticals.
Crucially, the deal’s terms brought US tariffs on South Korean cars down from a 25% level.
Mr. Trump’s latest threat, if enacted, would reverse that.
Export pain
The auto industry accounts for 27% of South Korea’s exports to the United States, which takes in nearly half of the country’s car exports.
A reversal to a higher tariff level could also put South Korean exports in a less advantageous position compared with economies like Japan and the European Union, which have both struck deals for a 15% U.S. tariff.
The Trump administration has yet to issue formal notices to enact the changes.
The U.S. President’s threat targeting South Korea is his latest against key trading partners in recent days.
Over the weekend, Mr. Trump warned Canada that if it concludes a trade deal with China, he would impose a 100% tariff on all goods coming across the border.
Earlier in January, Mr. Trump also threatened to slap tariffs on multiple European nations until his purchase of Greenland is achieved. He has since backed off the threat.
Published – January 27, 2026 06:24 am IST
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Trump says hiking tariffs on South Korean goods to 25%
