Japan and South Korea face 25% US tariffs

These major trade players are among 14 countries that President Donald Trump is threatening with his latest levies, which could rock the consumer products industry.
July 8, 2025

US President Donald Trump revealed the next countries targeted for planned tariff increases in a series of posts on his Truth Social account yesterday, and it could hit toy companies hard.

Trump uploaded letters addressed to the leaders of 14 countries, laying out the various tariff rates he says the US will impose on imports starting August 1. 

As per the letters, goods from Japan and South Korea—two of the US’s key trade partners in Asia—will be subject to 25% tariffs. And Trump says the same rate will be imposed on Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Tunisia.

Trump’s trade war has already disrupted the toy industry significantly this year, leaving companies like Mattel, Funko and Spin Master racing to diversify their supply chains and reduce their reliance on China.   

Meanwhile, South Africa and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are facing a 30% tariff, with a slightly higher 32% rate slated for goods from Indonesia. The letters also say that Bangladesh and Serbia are facing 35% levies; Cambodia and Thailand will be charged 36%; and finally, Laos and Myanmar will be subject to a 40% rate.

In April, Trump announced high tariffs on many countries around the globe, though he later paused those threatened tariffs for 90 days, claiming countries could avoid the levies by individually negotiating with the US. Now that the 90-day window is coming to an end, these new levies would apply to countries that have not struck a deal with the US.

In his letters, Trump noted that there will be no tariff on companies based in these countries if they decide to build or manufacture products in the US instead.

The list of countries could be expanding, as additional letters “will be sent today, tomorrow and for the next short period of time,” Trump said in a social post earlier this morning. He also noted this week that he was close to reaching a deal with India.

Featured image: Shinjuku, Japan (Jezael Melgoza/Unsplash)

About The Author

Search

Menu

Brand Menu