South Korea Refutes Trump's Tariff Claims: Rate Actually 0.79%

Sejong, South Korea—The South Korean government has issued a statement refuting claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump during his March 4, 2025, address to a joint session of Congress.

The South Korean Ministry of Trade clarified that the effective tariff rate on U.S. imports to South Korea is just 0.79%, contrary to President Trump's assertion.

In his address to Congress, President Trump emphasized that “South Korea's average tariff on U.S. products is four times higher than the tariff the U.S. imposes on Korean products.”

The South Korean government explained that while the Most Favored Nation (MFN) applied rate for South Korea is approximately 13.4% compared to the U.S. rate of 3.3% - about four times higher - this rate does not apply to bilateral trade between the two nations.

The MFN rate only applies to WTO member countries without specific bilateral trade agreements.

South Korea emphasized that the 2012 Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) eliminated tariffs on most goods traded between the two countries.

The statement noted that the effective tariff rate of 0.79% represents actual duties collected as a percentage of total imports from the United States without accounting for rebates.

The South Korean government plans to actively explain these facts to the United States through various consultation channels.