Officials in South Korea are said to be concerned after Donald Trump’s comments to Congress indicated their country could be next on the list to be hit with tariffs.
The 47th POTUS marked 43 days in charge of the country on Tuesday (March 4) with a speech to Congress.
During it, Trump revealed Vladimir Putin has provided ‘strong signals’ to the US that he wants peace with Ukraine and detailed a letter received from President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid the ongoing war in Europe.
He also had a message for the people of Greenland in what was a somewhat confusing address.
A huge talking point from Trump’s premiership so far is that of tariffs, with the likes of Canada, Mexico and China being hit.
The tariffs have been introduced to tackle what the White House has described as an ‘extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl’.
Donald Trump has imposed a number of tariffs (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
25 percent tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico, while 20 percent tariffs have been dropped on China.
South Korea could be next on the tariffs list, with officials in Seoul said to be concerned by comments made by President Trump in his congress speech.
Trump said South Korea’s average tariff was four times higher than the level seen in the US, which suggested the country may be hit next.
He told Congress: “South Korea’s average tariff is four times higher. Think of that. Four times higher.
“And we give so much help militarily and in so many other ways to South Korea. But that’s what happens. This is happening by friend and foe.”
Seoul has since disputed this, with the ministry stating they would be ‘actively communicating’ with officials in Washington about tariffs.
As a counter, China announced plans to impose taxes of 15 percent on coal and liquified natural gas from the US, as well as a 10 percent levy on crude oil, farming equipment, and some cars.
Meanwhile, imports of US-grown chicken, wheat, corn and cotton will see an extra 15 percent tariff, while the likes of sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, seafoods, fruit, vegetables, and dairy products are seeing a 10 percent increase, as per AP.
Han Duck-soo, South Korea’s prime minister (JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)
Both the Canadian and Mexican leaders announced shortly after the tariffs were confirmed by Trump that they were bringing in counter tariffs.
Canada is imposing 25 percent tariffs on CA $155 billion of US goods, with prime minister Justin Trudeau stating: “It will have real consequences for you, the American people.
“The actions taken by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together.”
Speaking of her country’s plans, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on Twitter: “We categorically reject the White House’s slander that the Mexican government has alliances with criminal organisations, as well as any intention of meddling in our territory.
“If the United States government and its agencies wanted to address the serious fentanyl consumption in their country, they could fight the sale of drugs on the streets of their major cities, which they don’t do, and the laundering of money that this illegal activity generates that has done so much harm to its population.”
