US to impose 25% tariffs on Korea… White House letter
✅ Document Introduction
This document is a diplomatic note from President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America to President Lee Jae-myung of the Republic of Korea, dated July 7, 2025. This letter was sent directly from the highest levels of the U.S. administration and is significant in that it signals a change in U.S. policy on the important bilateral trade relationship between our two countries.
The central themes of the letter are the perceived trade imbalances and the unilateral measures the United States is proposing to address them, but the tone and content of the letter, particularly the announcement of a specific tariff imposition date of August 1, 2025, and a specific rate of 25%, suggest a unilateral imposition of the policy rather than negotiations to agree on terms prior to implementation.
The fact that the proposal for tariff adjustments is made after the announcement of tariff imposition shows a different approach from traditional multilateral or bilateral trade negotiations, where the United States presents the facts as they are (the imposition of the 25% tariffs) and then proposes conditional adjustments depending on Korea’s actions.
This approach shifts all responsibility and burden to Korea for avoiding or alleviating tariffs, and can be seen as reflecting a strong “America First” trade policy tone that prioritizes the immediate interests of the United States over symmetrical negotiations.
