Japan and South Korea, the United States’ closest security allies in Asia and key partners in its effort to counter China, were sent scrambling Tuesday after the U.S. president renewed his threat to impose steep tariffs on their goods,

In letters so far to 14 countries, including smaller exporters to the United States such as Serbia, Thailand and Tunisia, Trump hinted at opportunities for additional negotiations, even while warning that reprisals would draw a like-for-like response.

President Trump's newly announced 25% tariffs on goods from South Korea and Japan closely reflect tariffs for each nation that Trump had announced on April 2, before implementing a 90-day pause that was set to expire Wednesday.

WASHINGTON — U.S. markets saw steep drops as President Donald Trump began announcing unilateral 25% tariffs on all imports from key trading partners Japan and South Korea shortly after noon Monday. Hours later, he announced additional tariffs ranging from 25% to 40% on Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and South Africa.

Trump’s initial global reciprocal tariffs unveiled on April 2 ranged from 10% to 49%, including 49% on Cambodia, 25% on South Korea, 24% on Japan, 32% on Taiwan and 26% on India.

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is levying tariffs against South Korea and Japan beginning in August. Trump announced in two separate posts to Truth Social that the two countries will each face a 25% tariff beginning on August 1.