Trump says hiking tariffs on South Korean goods to 25% / Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS - AFP/File
-
Gauff says online abuse was 'draining' after China Open exit
-
England's Nations League surge helps heal World Cup wounds
-
As sector struggles, Porsche puts luxury ahead of volume
-
Mayor of opposition stronghold Izmir defects to Erdogan party
-
'It's personal': Fiji minister pushes better climate finance at pre-COP
-
Mertens beats Gauff to set up Swiatek clash at China Open
-
Russia glosses over dark Soviet past in reinvented museum
-
Benin full of pride at role in Messi's last dance
-
UK tax body opened probe into Man City in 2018: FT
-
France suspends stun grenade use at student protests ahead of PM speech
-
Yemen's Houthis claim new attacks on Saudi airports as conflict deepens
-
Indonesian court hears 'negligence' complaint against state over fires, haze
-
Germany factory production at highest level for 18 months
-
Rubio in Greece to urge against Western civilisation 'decline'
-
Thailand floods death toll rises to 60 since mid-September
-
Micron workers at Taiwan plant vote in favour of strike
-
US pushes Russia for information on plague reports
-
In 'The Social Reckoning,' Jeremy Allen White takes on Facebook's 'frightening' ambition
-
Myanmar leader lands in Malaysia for migrant return talks
-
Chip industry activists call for South Korea to recognise cancer cases
-
Indian central bank hikes rates for first time since 2023
-
Famine-scarred southern Madagascar braces for El Nino
-
US military on Okinawa face curfew, alcohol ban after murder case
-
How the EU regulates lobbyists
-
Fierce lobbying in EU over 'forever chemicals'
-
I.Coast refuge offers lifelong care for youngsters scorned as 'sorcerers'
-
Dodgers beat Braves and Padres avoid sweep in MLB playoffs
-
Indian central bank hikes rates for first time in more than 3 years
-
Mourning, war and elections as Israel marks October 7
-
Hotel Blacklist Launches New Accommodation Industry Risk Assessment Tool
-
Messi says Argentina retirement is 'saddest day of my career'
-
Bangladesh nuclear plant draws hope -- and worry
-
Oil rises and stocks fall as Hormuz worries flare
-
US beat Canada 1-0 to wrap up four-win international break
-
Pacific presses world for help 'surviving' climate change at pre-COP summit
-
Turkey, Australia's joint COP31 leadership raises doubts
-
Verstappen revival to be put to the test in steamy Singapore
-
For Turkish NGOs, COP31 offers rare space for action
-
US woman who survived botched execution is conscious, speaking: lawyers
-
Sleep, appetite, gene-editing experts contend for Nobel chemistry prize
-
Climate champion Australia digging more coal
-
Nobel Peace Prize haunted by the 'spectre' of Trump
-
Emotion, tears as Messi retires from Argentina national team
-
Africa launches own credit agency in bid for cheaper borrowing
-
Dodgers push Braves to the brink of MLB playoff exit
-
US, China, EU: three paths to regulating AI
-
Crisis-stricken Haiti postpones elections
-
Australia's High Court rules against coal mine in landmark climate case
-
N. Korea's Kim pledges 'invariable support' in Putin birthday letter
-
Australia touts new funds for Pacific infrastructure at Fiji 'pre-COP'
Trump says hiking tariffs on South Korean goods to 25%
US President Donald Trump said Monday that he would raise tariffs on South Korean goods including autos, lumber and pharmaceuticals, taking aim at the country for "not living up to" an earlier trade pact struck with Washington.
The increase would bring tariff levels from 15 percent to 25 percent.
"South Korea's Legislature is not living up to its Deal with the United States," 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 US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
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 finalized after 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.
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 percent level.
Trump's latest threat, if enacted, would reverse that.
The auto industry accounts for 27 percent 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 percent US tariff.
The Trump administration has yet to issue formal notices to enact the changes.
The US president's threat targeting South Korea is his latest against key trading partners in recent days.
Over the weekend, Trump warned Canada that if it concludes a trade deal with China, he would impose a 100 percent tariff on all goods coming across the border.
Earlier in January, Trump also threatened to slap tariffs on multiple European nations until his purchase of Greenland is achieved. He has since backed off the threat.
W.AbuLaban--SF-PST