President Trump is using tariffs to reshape the global playing field, expert explains
National Foreign Trade Council president Jake Colvin discusses foreign relations under the Trump administration on 'The Claman Countdown.'
President Donald Trump said Monday that he was increasing tariffs on South Korean imports of autos, lumber and pharmaceuticals to 25%, accusing Seoul of "not living up" to its trade deal.
"Our trade deals are very important to America. In each of these deals, we have acted swiftly to reduce our TARIFFS in line with the transaction agreed to," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
"We, of course, expect our trading partners to do the same," he added, saying that South Korea's legislature had not approved the trade agreement.
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President Donald Trump said he would raise tariffs back up to 25% on South Korea following delays in an agreed trade deal. (Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images)
"Because the Korean Legislature hasn't enacted our historic trade agreement, which is their prerogative, I am hereby increasing South Korean TARIFFS on Autos, Lumber, Pharma, and all other Reciprocal TARIFFS, from 15% to 25%," Trump added.
The South Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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Hyundai vehicles are loaded on a ship at a port near the company's Ulsan plant in Ulsan, South Korea, on March 30, 2025. (SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
The move fits into Trump’s broader second-term strategy of using tariffs as leverage to enforce trade compliance rather than as temporary negotiating tools.
The move comes as the Trump administration awaits a Supreme Court ruling on whether some of the trade duties imposed in 2025 exceeded presidential authority, a decision that could have broad implications for current tariff actions.
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President Donald Trump, at right, and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung agreed to a trade deal in 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Tariffs are taxes levied on imported goods. Although they are paid by companies at the border, the costs are often passed along through higher prices, leaving consumers to bear much of the burden.
It remains unclear when the higher tariffs will take effect or how South Korea may respond.
