Washington, Jan 27 (V7N) — US President Donald Trump has announced a 25 percent increase in tariffs on goods imported from South Korea, alleging that a trade agreement signed in 2025 has not been properly respected. Qatar-based media outlet Al Jazeera reported the development on Tuesday.

In a post on social media on Monday (January 26), President Trump said that the existing 15 percent tariff on various South Korean products—including medicines and automobiles—would be raised.

However, South Korea has stated that it has not received any official notification regarding tariff increases on most of its export products. In response, Seoul has expressed its willingness to hold urgent discussions with Washington to clarify the issue.

In October last year, the United States and South Korea signed a major economic agreement under which South Korea pledged to invest $350 billion in the US economy. A portion of that investment was designated for the shipbuilding sector.

The following month, both countries agreed that the United States would reduce tariffs on certain South Korean products if Seoul began the process of ratifying the agreement. The deal was submitted to South Korea’s National Assembly on November 26 and is currently under review.

According to international media reports, the agreement is expected to be approved by the National Assembly in February.

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