President Donald Trump said the U.S. plans to impose a 25% tax on products entering the country from South Korea and Japan on August 1.
He announced the tariffs in an article on social media, sharing a letter he said had sent to leaders of both countries.
The White House said it hopes to send similar messages to many other countries as its 90-day pause on some of its most aggressive tariffs will expire.
The first two letters show that Trump remains committed to the initial tariffs, while the rates announced in April are small.
At the time, he said he wanted to hit Japanese goods at a tax rate of 24% and charge 25% for products made in South Korea.
These tariffs are included in the larger Liberation Day announcement, which imposes new taxes on goods from countries around the world – some of which face more than 40% of taxes.
Trump suspended some of the highest import taxes to allow negotiations while maintaining a 10% tax after the initial tariff announcement.
A negotiation window to avoid higher responsibilities will expire on July 9. Trump said he plans to start charging tariffs on August 1, thus extending the deadline.
On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expects to be “busy for a few days.”
“We have a lot of people who have changed their adjustments in negotiations. So last night my mailbox was filled with a lot of new offers, a lot of new suggestions.”
Trump initially described his April tariffs as “reciprocity,” claiming they were asked to fight back with trade rules he believes are unfair to U.S. exports.
He announced tariffs in key sectors, such as steel and automobiles, cited national security issues and threatened other regions such as medicines and wood.
Multi-layered policies conduct complex trade negotiations, and in negotiations with Japan and South Korea, automobile tariffs are a key point.
So far, the United States has reached an agreement with the United Kingdom and Vietnam, as well as some agreements with China. In all three cases, the agreement raised tariffs, and key issues remained unresolved.
The EU is also reportedly in talks, which will allow most goods shipped to the U.S. to be taxed 10% by the deadline.
But it also hopes to reduce Trump’s 25% tariff on cars and parts and a 50% tax on steel and aluminum.
On Monday, a spokesman said that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had a “good exchange” with Trump. Just a few weeks ago, the U.S. president threatened the EU with a 50% tax unless a deal was reached.
Last week, Trump said Japan could face “30% or 35%” tariffs if the country did not reach an agreement with the United States before Wednesday.
