Trump slaps allies Japan, South Korea with 25% tariffs

US President Donald Trump said Monday he was slapping 25 percent tariffs on Japan and South Korea, in his first letters to trading partners ahead of a deadline to reach a deal with Washington.

Trump had said at the weekend that starting from Monday he would send a first batch of up to 15 letters to countries informing them that he would reimpose harsh levies that he had postponed in April.

In near-identically worded letters to the Japanese and South Korean leaders, Trump said the tariffs would…