Trump Hits Japan and South Korea With 25% Tariffs, Warns: Retaliate and It’ll Get Worse
President Donald Trump announced Monday that his administration is imposing a sweeping 25% tariff on all imports from Japan and South Korea, escalating his America First trade agenda and warning both nations not to retaliate.
The tariffs, which take effect August 1, come after the president extended the original “Liberation Day” deadline from April to give both countries time to come to the table. But according to Trump, that patience has run out.
“Please understand that the 25% number is far less than what is needed to eliminate the Trade Deficit disparity we have with your Country,” Trump wrote in letters to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, which he posted to Truth Social.
The new blanket tariffs are in addition to already existing sector-specific tariffs, and Trump made clear that companies from both nations can avoid them — by moving their manufacturing operations to the United States.
He also issued a direct warning: if Japan or South Korea attempt to retaliate with their own tariffs, the U.S. response will be immediate and more severe.
“These tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country,” Trump stated. “You will never be disappointed with the United States of America.”
The bold move comes as part of Trump’s broader effort to reassert U.S. economic power and confront countries that have long benefited from unfair trade deals. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previewed the announcement on CNBC earlier in the day, saying several trade actions were imminent within the next 48 hours.
Japan’s economy minister Ryosei Akazawa has reportedly flown to Washington seven times in recent weeks to try and reach a deal — but with no results. Trump, speaking last week, expressed deep skepticism about Japan’s willingness to make a fair agreement, bluntly labeling the country “spoiled.”
“I doubt it with Japan — they’re very tough. You have to understand, they’re spoiled. I love Japan. I really like the new prime minister, too,” Trump said. “But they and others are so spoiled from having ripped us off for 30, 40 years that it’s really hard for them to make a deal.”
He pointed to Japan’s refusal to accept American rice and its lopsided auto trade practices as examples of longstanding trade imbalances. “They won’t take any cars, but they’ll sell millions. So, we told them, ‘Sorry, you can’t do that.’”
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo met over the weekend with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to lobby for reductions in U.S. steel and vehicle tariffs — the second such visit since South Korea’s new administration took office.
So far, neither nation has managed to avoid the tariffs. And with Trump setting a hard deadline for August 1, the message from the White House is clear: fix your trade deals — or pay up.