South Korea fell to ninth place among U.S. import partners in 2025 as President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs weighed on key exports, while Washington signaled it may adjust how steel and aluminum duties are enforced.

U.S. imports from South Korea totaled $113.4 billion from January to November last year, down 5.9% from a year earlier and accounting for 3.6% of total imports, according to the Korea International Trade Association. The share marked the country’s lowest ranking since the association began compiling data in 1988. Taiwan rose to fourth place, benefiting from strong semiconductor exports that have been largely insulated from