Trump: "Countries with VAT Will Be Seen Similarly to Those Imposing Tariffs on the US"

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that countries with value-added tax (VAT) systems, including South Korea, will be treated similarly to countries imposing tariffs on the U.S. and that reciprocal tariffs will be imposed.

On the 15th (local time), President Trump reaffirmed the decision to impose reciprocal tariffs through the social media platform Truth Social, stating, "We will treat countries using the much harsher value-added tax (VAT) system similarly to those with tariffs on the U.S."

President Trump said that "non-monetary tariffs and trade barriers imposed to push our products out of their territories" will be considered in imposing reciprocal tariffs, and he also mentioned responding to subsidies that governments provide to their domestic companies.

He emphasized, "We can accurately calculate the cost of non-monetary trade barriers," adding, "If any country feels that the U.S. is imposing excessively high tariffs, what they should do is reduce or eliminate their tariffs on the U.S.," and stressed, "If you manufacture your products in the U.S., there are no tariffs."