U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, October 29, 2025.
Tyrone Siu | Reuters
President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would raise tariffs on South Korean imports of automobiles, medicine and lumber from 15% to 25%, citing delays in Congressional approval of a trade deal with the United States signed last summer.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said, “The South Korean Congress is not implementing its agreement with the United States.”
“President Lee (Jae-Myung) and I reached a major agreement for both countries on July 30, 2025, and reaffirmed these terms while I was in South Korea on October 29, 2025. Why hasn’t the South Korean Congress approved it?” Trump asked.
“Since the South Korean Congress has not enacted the historic trade agreement that is South Korea’s prerogative, I hereby increase South Korea’s tariffs on automobiles, lumber, pharmaceuticals, and all other reciprocal tariffs from 15% to 25%,” he wrote.
South Korea-based automaker Hyundai Motors is the country’s largest importer of new cars to the United States.
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