Imports from South Korea pay a 10% Section 122 tariff — a 15-point drop from the 25% IEEPA rate the Supreme Court struck down on February 20, 2026. Korea was one of the biggest winners of the ruling. And that's before KORUS FTA benefits: for goods that qualify under KORUS rules of origin, the MFN base drops to 0%, leaving only the 10% Section 122 — and even that expires July 24, 2026 unless Congress extends it. Here's the real math on Korean imports in 2026.
Current Korea Tariff Structure (Post-SCOTUS)
The baseline on Korean imports is 10% Section 122, effective February 24, 2026. It replaced the 25% IEEPA reciprocal rate after SCOTUS. KORUS FTA (the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement, in force since 2012) continues to eliminate MFN duty on roughly 95% of bilateral trade — most electronics, autos, machinery, consumer goods. But KORUS doesn't exempt Section 122; that's imposed under different authority. Steel from Korea is the quiet winner: under the 2018 bilateral quota arrangement, Korea accepted volume caps in exchange for 0% Section 232, keeping Korean mills out of the 50% hit that EU and Brazilian suppliers take. So Korean steel pays 10% Section 122 + 0% Section 232 = 10% total, versus 60% on EU steel.
KORUS FTA — How to Claim 0% MFN
KORUS requires two things. First, the good must originate in Korea under the agreement's rules of origin — typically a tariff shift or a regional value content of 35-55% depending on the product. Second, the importer must claim preference on the entry. No claim, no duty-free. The claim goes on CBP Form 7501 by entering 'KR' as the SPI (Special Program Indicator) in column 27. You also need a KORUS Certificate of Origin on file — no specific form is required, but it must contain nine data elements including the producer, exporter, HS classification, and origin criterion. CBP can audit origin claims for five years. For high-value shipments, get a written origin affidavit from the Korean manufacturer and keep it with your entry documents.
Worked Example: $20,000 Korean Auto Parts Shipment
Take a $20,000 CIF shipment of Korean transmission parts under HTS 8708.40. MFN rate: 2.5%. Under KORUS: 0%. Section 122: 10%. Without KORUS preference, duty = $500 MFN + $2,000 Section 122 = $2,500 (12.5%). With KORUS claimed correctly, duty = $0 MFN + $2,000 Section 122 = $2,000 (10%). MPF applies either way at 0.3464% ($69.28). HMF at 0.125% ($25) for ocean. Total landed duty with KORUS: $2,094.28. Without the claim: $2,594.28. That $500 delta on one container is why experienced importers audit their broker's SPI entries monthly. On a $2M annual program, it's $50,000 left on the table if nobody files the claim.
Steel Quota — Korea's Section 232 Carveout
Korean steel sits in a different tier from every other major supplier. Under the 2018 US-Korea arrangement, Korea accepted a hard export quota — roughly 70% of 2015-2017 shipments — in exchange for 0% Section 232 duty. Commerce administers the quota and allocates it among Korean producers. If the quota fills for a given quarter, additional shipments face the full 50% Section 232 — but it rarely fills in practice. On $100,000 of Korean hot-rolled steel: $10,000 Section 122 + $0 Section 232 = $10,000 duty (10%). The same shipment from Germany: $10,000 Section 122 + $50,000 Section 232 = $60,000 duty (60%). That's a 50-point cost advantage for Korean mills, and it's the main reason POSCO and Hyundai Steel hold market share in the US despite the quota cap.
Electronics, Semiconductors, and Autos
Korean electronics — Samsung displays, LG appliances, SK Hynix memory — enter at 0% MFN under KORUS. The 10% Section 122 still applies. Semiconductors from Korea face a separate 25% Section 232 surcharge imposed in October 2025 on all foreign-made chips; KORUS doesn't exempt that. On a $50,000 SK Hynix memory shipment: $5,000 Section 122 + $12,500 Section 232 semiconductor = $17,500 duty (35%). Passenger cars (HTS 8703) pay 2.5% MFN everywhere, but KORUS zeros it out: Hyundai and Kia exports from Korea pay 0% MFN + 10% Section 122 = 10% total, compared to 12.5% on German or Japanese cars. Korean-built light trucks still pay the 25% Chicken Tax under Section 232 — no KORUS exemption applies there.
What Expires July 24, 2026
The 10% Section 122 tariff on Korean imports expires approximately July 24, 2026 — 150 days after it took effect. Congress must extend or replace it by that date or Korean KORUS-qualifying goods revert to 0% total duty on MFN-exempt items. Scenario math: if Section 122 expires cleanly, a Korean auto parts program paying 10% today pays 0% on August 1. If Congress replaces it with a higher rate, the cost picture shifts overnight. Korean importers signing 2026 contracts should build duty adjustment clauses tied to the July 24 date. And watch USTR's pending Section 301 investigations — the administration has floated Korea-specific actions around semiconductor subsidies and EV battery content.
Sourcing Korea vs Japan vs Taiwan
Three Asia-Pacific suppliers, three different cost profiles. Korea: 10% Section 122, KORUS zeros MFN on most goods, steel quota keeps Section 232 at 0%, semiconductor Section 232 at 25%. Japan: 10% Section 122, no FTA so MFN applies in full (2.5% on autos, 0% on electronics, 0% on machinery), steel at 50% Section 232. Taiwan: dropped hardest after the ruling — 32% IEEPA → 10% Section 122, no FTA, semiconductor Section 232 at 25%, steel at 50%. For apparel or consumer electronics with 2-5% MFN, Korea wins by KORUS. For autos, Korea wins by KORUS + the FTA on passenger cars. For semiconductors, all three pay the same effective 35% because Section 232 dominates. For steel, only Korea avoids the 50% hit.
Key Takeaway
South Korea is one of the better-case post-SCOTUS stories: 15 points off the base rate, KORUS keeps MFN duty at zero on most products, and the steel quota shields Korean mills from the 50% Section 232 that hammers EU and Brazilian suppliers. The July 24 Section 122 expiration could push effective rates on KORUS-qualifying goods to 0%. Claim KORUS preference correctly, keep origin documents on file, and run scenario math before the expiration date.
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