The US president said he would raise tariffs from 15% because South Korea had not ratified the trade agreement.
Published January 27, 2026
US President Donald Trump has announced he will increase tariffs on exports to South Korea, accusing East Asian allies of not ratifying trade deals with the US quickly enough.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, President Trump said he would “hereby raise tariffs from 15% to 25%” after South Korea’s parliament failed to ratify last year’s trade deal between the United States and South Korea.
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Trump said the higher tariffs would apply to automobiles, lumber, pharmaceuticals and any other items subject to baseline “reciprocal” tariffs.
President Trump said, “The South Korean Congress is not implementing the agreement with the United States.”
“Why doesn’t the South Korean Congress approve it?” Trump added.
As of Monday night, the White House had not issued an executive order giving legal effect to the tariff increases.
South Korea’s presidential office said in a statement that South Korea had not received any notification from the U.S. side regarding the tariffs.
The newspaper announced that Kim Yong-bum, director of national policy, would convene a meeting on Tuesday to discuss President Trump’s announcement.
South Korean Minister of Trade and Industry Kim Joon-kwan, who is currently visiting Canada, will also be heading to the United States immediately to meet with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, the ministry announced.
The United States and South Korea announced a framework trade agreement in July, with President Trump agreeing to reduce mutual tariffs on South Korean products from 25% to 15%.
After President Trump met with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) held in Gyeongju, South Korea in October, the two countries agreed to extend the 15% tariff on South Korean automobile exports.
Under the agreement, the South Korean government agreed to invest $350 billion in key U.S. industries such as semiconductors and shipbuilding.
A related bill drafted by the Democratic Party of Japan, led by Lee, has been under deliberation in the National Assembly since November.
President Trump’s trade moves are a major concern for South Korea’s economy, which relies heavily on exports and has faced slowing growth in recent years.
South Korea’s economy grew by 1% in 2025 after contracting by 0.3% in the last quarter. This was the weakest performance for Asia’s fourth-largest economy since 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic sharply halted much economic activity.
South Korea’s exports will account for about 44% of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, far exceeding the OECD average of 30%.
Despite President Trump’s tariffs reducing demand for South Korean cars and machinery, the United States remains South Korea’s largest export destination after China.
In 2025, South Korea’s exports to the United States amounted to $122.9 billion, accounting for approximately 17% of the total, a decrease of 3.8% from the previous year.
