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President Donald Trump announced Monday that the United States will raise tariffs on many South Korean goods after Seoul’s National Assembly failed to approve a bilateral trade agreement reached last year.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president said the tariffs will increase from 15 percent to 25 percent and will apply to automobiles, lumber, pharmaceutical products and other goods subject to reciprocal trade measures.
“Our Trade Deals are very important to America,” President Trump wrote. “In each of these Deals, we have acted swiftly to reduce our TARIFFS in line with the Transaction agreed to. We, of course, expect our Trading Partners to do the same.”
President Trump said he and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung reached a “Great Deal for both Countries” on July 30, 2025, and reaffirmed the agreement during his visit to South Korea in October. However, he criticized South Korea’s legislature for failing to ratify the pact, which is required under South Korean law for it to take effect.
“Why hasn’t the Korean Legislature approved it?” President Trump wrote. “Because the Korean Legislature hasn’t enacted our Historic Trade Agreement, which is their prerogative, I am hereby increasing South Korean TARIFFS.”
The move marks the latest in a series of controversies over trade tensions between Washington and South Korea. The nation is a major exporter to the United States, particularly in automobiles and pharmaceuticals, and higher tariffs could increase costs for U.S. consumers and businesses that rely on those imports.
South Korean officials had not publicly responded to President Trump’s comments. Analysts say domestic political divisions in Seoul have complicated efforts to move the agreement through the National Assembly, despite support from the country’s executive branch.
President Trump has repeatedly defended the use of tariffs as leverage to enforce trade agreements, arguing that reciprocal measures are necessary to protect U.S. industries and workers. Monday’s announcement signals the administration’s willingness to impose economic penalties when trade partners fail to meet negotiated terms.
