The Financial Times (FT) reported on Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s sudden increase in tariffs on South Korea marks the first time he has raised duties on a country with which he had already completed tariff negotiations. This move has put other nations that have finalized trade deals on edge.
Last July, Trump and South Korea reached an agreement to lower tariffs on South Korean goods to 15% in exchange for a 350 billion USD investment from Seoul.
This deal was finalized during Trump’s October 2025 visit to South Korea.
However, Trump abruptly announced that he would raise South Korea’s tariffs from the agreed-upon 15% to 25%.
As a result, South Korea became the first country to face additional tariff hikes despite having completed negotiations. The FT noted that this development has caused anxiety among other nations that have already concluded tariff agreements.
The FT also pointed out that Trump has frequently expressed frustration with some countries for not implementing agreements swiftly enough.