CNN
—
President Donald Trump cranked up the pressure on two of America’s key trading partners, Japan and South Korea, firing off letters Monday to the heads of their countries that informed them of their new tariff rate.
Both countries will face a 25% tariff come August 1, Trump said in posts on Truth Social displaying the letters, potentially giving countries more time to negotiate deals.
In the two nearly identical letters, Trump said he takes particular issue with the trade deficits the United States runs with both countries, meaning America buys more goods from there compared to the amount that American businesses export to those countries. Trump also said the tariffs would be set in response to other policies that he deems are impeding American goods from being sold abroad.
“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 says in both letters.
He encouraged both countries to manufacture goods in the United States to avoid tariffs.
“There will be no tariff” if South Korea or Japan or “companies within your Country, decide to build or manufacture product within the United States and, in fact, we will do everything possible to get approvals quickly, professionally, and routinely-In other words, in a matter of weeks,” he added.
Trump also threatened to raise tariffs higher than 25% if South Korea or Japan retaliated against the United States with tariffs of their own.
Japan and South Korea are America’s sixth- and seventh-largest trading partners, respectively. Last year, both shipped a combined $280 billion worth of goods to the United States last year, according to US Commerce Department figures. Meanwhile, they bought a combined $145 billion worth of goods from the US.
The prospect of higher tariffs on both nations’ goods could translate into higher prices for American consumers. Among the top goods America imports from them are cars, auto parts, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and machinery. Trump has placed or threatened to levy industry-specific tariffs on many of these goods.
“If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge,” Trump also said.
Trump could soon announce more of these letters: He previously said he planned to deliver 10 to 12 letters to heads of countries each day ahead of his looming 12:01 a.m. ET July 9 deadline for countries to make deals or face the threat of higher tariffs. That date marks the end of the pause on “reciprocal” tariffs, which briefly went into place in April. Since then, impacted countries have faced a minimum 10% tariff.
In April, Japan was set to face a 24% tariff, while South Korea was set to face a 25% tariff. Trump said these rates would be “separate from all Sectoral Tariffs,” meaning, for instance, cars from the two countries, which currently face 25% tariffs, won’t be stacked on top of one another and charged a combined 50% tax, the White House confirmed. That would apply to any future sector-specific tariffs, too, a White House official said.
Despite this, auto stocks of companies that have a heavy manufacturing presence in Japan and South Korea declined sharply. For instance, US-listed shares of Nissan Motors were down over 7%, while Toyota and Honda shares were down 4%.
Those declines, however, may reflect the increased likelihood of Trump potentially raising tariffs on cars from the two countries should they retaliate against the general 25% tariffs, were they to go into effect, by slapping higher tariffs on American goods.
“These Tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with on our relationship with your Country. You will never be disappointed with The United States of America,” Trump ended the letters before signing off.
US stocks, which were already sliding, dropped lower after Trump’s announcement. The Dow was down as much as 530 points, or 1.2%. The S&P 500 fell 0.87% and the Nasdaq fell 0.9%.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
