House Judiciary casts US tariff hike on Korea as retaliation over Coupang

Flags raised ahead of Coupang’s IPO in front of the New York Stock Exchange building, March 11, 2021. Yonhap

SEATTLE — Senior Republicans are casting the Trump administration’s decision to raise tariffs on Korean goods as retaliation for Seoul’s handling of the Coupang, highlighting how regulatory disputes involving U.S. firms overseas are increasingly spilling into trade policy.

The comment came from the official X (formerly Twitter) account of House Judiciary Republicans, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan, which said Tuesday that “this is what happens when you unfairly target American companies like Coupang,” following the tariff announcement. The post came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said tariffs on automobiles, pharmaceuticals and other goods would rise from 15 percent to 25 percent.

The latest post followed weeks of escalating criticism from Republicans over Korean regulatory actions against Coupang. Earlier this month, Jordan reposted a statement by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald condemning what he described as a “politically motivated witch hunt” against American executives of Coupang, calling the actions “unacceptable” and vowing that the United States “will always protect our businesses and workers.”

Trump said the tariff increase was prompted by delays in implementing parts of a bilateral trade agreement, reversing earlier tariff reductions granted under the deal. The White House has not explicitly linked the move to Coupang or to Korea’s regulatory actions. However, the House Judiciary Committee's remarks, coupled with earlier posts from Republicans, suggest that influential Republicans view the tariff hike as leverage against what they see as discriminatory treatment of a U.S. company.

Coupang is incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Seattle, and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, though most of its operations are in Korea. The company has faced intensified scrutiny from Korean authorities since a major data breach occurred in November 2025.

Korean officials say they are seeking clarification from Washington on the rationale behind the tariff hike, as senior trade officials prepare to visit the United States to assess whether the move reflects trade enforcement or a broader political signal.