The July 2025 tariff letters to Japan and South Korea
The United States announced proposed 25% reciprocal tariff rates for Japan and South Korea in letters sent on July 7, 2025. The White House said the new rates were scheduled to take effect on August 1, while extending a temporary pause that had been due to expire on July 9.
The announcement formed part of a wider round of letters to trading partners. The administration said negotiations could continue, making the distinction between an announced future rate and a tariff already being collected essential to understanding the news.
Japan and South Korea were both listed at 25% in the July 7 fact sheet. Other countries received different proposed rates. The letters therefore described country-specific measures, rather than one uniform charge on all imported goods.
For businesses following that announcement, the immediate issue was the interval before the stated August deadline. Contract pricing, shipment timing and supply decisions depended on the eventual applicable rules. The July 7 letters record that stage of the negotiations; they do not describe a permanent tariff rate.