The country’s new president, in office for a little over a month, had just dispatched his senior deputies to Washington to try to work out a trade deal.

While South Korean imports to the U.S. face 25% tariffs, the same as Trump promised in April, the rate on Japan has been raised by 1 percentage point to 25%.

In letters so far to 14 countries, including smaller exporters to the United States such as Serbia, Thailand and Tunisia, Trump hinted at opportunities for additional negotiations, even while warning that reprisals would draw a like-for-like response.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met counterparts in Southeast Asia during his first visit to the region since taking office.

Trump imposes tariffs up to 40% on 14 countries, pressuring allies to shift production to the US and avoid ties with BRICS. Tensions mount globally.

Donald Trump has said he will impose 25 per cent tariffs on imports of goods from Japan and South Korea, in an announcement that sent US stocks sliding. The president on Monday said the new levies on both countries would come into effect on August 1. Trump has vowed to announce tariff rates for dozens of other trading partners in coming days.

Asian shares rose Tuesday after stocks on Wall Street closed broadly lower as the White House stepped up pressure on major trading partners to make deals before punishing tariffs imposed by the U.S. take effect.