Trump says to slap allies Japan, South Korea with 25% tariffs

President Donald Trump announced tariffs of 25 percent on Japan and South Korea on Monday, stepping up pressure on the two key US allies and a dozen other economies to reach trade deals with Washington.

Trump issued similar letters to South Africa, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Kazakhstan, saying he would slap duties on their products ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent.

The president had said at the weekend that, starting from Monday, he would send a first batch of letters to countries…