US President Donald Trump has once again warned that countries refusing to open their markets to American products will face even higher tariffs. On Wednesday, several nations, including South Korea, rushed to finalise trade agreements with the US before the August 1 negotiation deadline.
In a strongly worded post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated, “I WILL ONLY LOWER TARIFFS IF A COUNTRY AGREES TO OPEN ITS MARKET. IF NOT, MUCH HIGHER TARIFFS! Japan’s Markets are now OPEN (for first time ever!). USA BUSINESSES WILL BOOM!”
His post came just a day after he announced a new trade deal with Japan, which includes a 15 percent “reciprocal” tariff on Japanese goods entering the United States.
This new rate is 10 percentage points lower than what had previously been announced. According to Trump, Japan will invest USD 550 billion in the US, with 90% of the profits going to the United States.
ANOTHER GREAT POWER OF TARIFFS: TRUMP
Trump also defended his use of tariffs as a negotiation tool. In another post, he wrote: “Another great power of Tariffs. Without them, it would be impossible to get countries to OPEN UP!!! ALWAYS, ZERO TARIFFS TO AMERICA!!!”
The president has been arguing that tariffs help create leverage in international trade talks, forcing other countries to remove trade barriers and give US businesses a fair shot in foreign markets. According to Trump, the goal is always to eliminate tariffs altogether—but only when other nations do the same.
His approach is putting pressure on countries like South Korea, which is working to avoid the harsh consequences of US tariffs. The Korean government is particularly concerned about proposed 25 percent reciprocal tariffs, as well as separate duties on steel, aluminium, and automobile exports. These sectors form the backbone of South Korea’s economy, which heavily relies on exports.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt backed Trump’s remarks during a press briefing. She said, “If not, they will continue to face tariffs and pay a steep price to do business in the United States of America, which remains the best market on the face of the planet.”
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