Tariffs in East Asia — 2026 Q3
Every Tariffs development in Korean, Chinese and Japanese industry that East Asia Brief logged in 2026 Q3 — 20 entries with dates, the companies exposed, and the primary document behind each one.
20developments logged
9with a primary document
4markets touched
79companies named
| Date | Development | Where | Companies exposed | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korean cathode makers retool production lines for LMFP chemistry as price war spreads LG Chem, EcoPro BM, and POSCO Future M accelerate manganese-doped phosphate materials to defend mid-tier electric vehicle supply… | Korea | LG Chem, EcoPro BM, POSCO Future M, Contemporary Amperex Technology | — | — | |
| BYD and Geely expand Southeast Asian assembly lines to build regional export hubs Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers scale localized parts procurement across Thailand and Indonesia to meet ASEAN tariff… | China | BYD Company, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, SAIC Motor, Great Wall Motor | — | — | |
| LG Energy Solution converts EV lines to accelerate ESS LFP pouch cell output The South Korean battery maker is ramping dedicated stationary storage capacity in China and the United States to secure… | Korea | LG Energy Solution, Contemporary Amperex Technology, BYD, Tesla | — | — | |
| Asian Shipyard Heavy Plate Costs Diverge as Mills and Builders Clash Over Contract Pricing Structural gaps in domestic steel contracts and Chinese export plate inflows across South Korea, China, and Japan are shifting… | Global | POSCO Holdings, Nippon Steel, Baoshan Iron & Steel, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries | — | — | |
| Hyundai accelerates Ulsan EV conversion to balance export lines with global demand The 2-trillion-won dedicated facility introduces flexible cell manufacturing to balance domestic output against overseas plant… | Korea | Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai Mobis, Kia Corporation, LG Energy Solution | — | — | |
| Corporate Clean Power Purchase Grid Fees Diverge Across East Asian Tech Hubs Disparate wheeling rates, capacity charges, and statutory levies in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan alter delivered electricity… | Global | Korea Electric Power Corporation, Taiwan Power Company, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Samsung Electronics | high | egc.meti.go.jp | |
| SK On Secures 18 GWh US LFP Battery Supply Deal with NeoVolta Power The five-year agreement delivers 9 gigawatt-hours of Georgia-made cells to NeoVolta and outlines a second 9 gigawatt-hour… | Korea | SK On, NeoVolta, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI | medium | thelec.net | |
| Innometry sweeps Samsung SDI US ESS battery inspection orders The South Korean inspection vendor secured CT equipment contracts across all three Indiana energy storage lines, booking 15.8… | Korea | Innometry, Samsung SDI, Stellantis, Tesla | medium | thelec.net | |
| US and China open talks on $30 billion reciprocal tariff reduction Negotiators review public filings on non-sensitive industrial goods and farm products to build exclusion lists under a bilateral… | Global | Boeing, National Association of Music Merchants | high | ustr.gov | |
| Japan bids to host permanent CPTPP secretariat to steer Asia-Pacific trade rules The trade ministry requested initial funding in its fiscal 2027 budget ahead of a formal proposal to member economies in Vietnam… | Japan | — | high | meti.go.jp | |
| US 100% drone tariffs take effect as Chinese hardware faces border wall The Section 232 duties penalize heavy and thermal-equipped unmanned aircraft while granting a 15% rate to allied suppliers in… | Global | Da-Jiang Innovations, Terra Drone Corporation, Skydio, FLIR Systems | high | whitehouse.gov | |
| Korea presses US for equal chip tariff terms as Lutnick warns of import levies Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan said Seoul is negotiating to ensure domestic chipmakers face terms no worse than competitors under… | Korea | Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Nvidia, TSMC | high | motir.go.kr | |
| Japan offers U.S. chip investment to win semiconductor tariff relief Economy Minister Ryosei Akazawa met Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to protect Japanese chip suppliers using Tokyo's $550… | Japan | SoftBank Group, Toshiba, Westinghouse, Tokyo Electron | high | meti.go.jp | |
| LG Energy Solution details $4.3B Tesla battery supply for US energy storage The South Korean battery maker will produce lithium iron phosphate cells at its Lansing plant to supply Tesla Megapack 3 units,… | Korea | LG Energy Solution, Tesla, General Motors, Smackover Lithium | medium | joongang.co.kr | |
| Wacker Chemie keeps Tennessee plant open despite US tariffs A Section 232 tariff order designed to shield domestic polysilicon is eroding orders at the German group's Charleston site by… | Global | Wacker Chemie | high | whitehouse.gov | |
| BYD launches 130 kWh LFP pack in Denza SUV with 960 km range The 3.1-ton N8L EV brings high-capacity blade cells into luxury three-row SUVs, challenging the range monopoly held by… | China | BYD, Denza, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI | medium | autoevolution.com | |
| Xi Jinping plans business delegation for Donald Trump summit Beijing aims to ease trade friction and protect cross-border commerce as U.S. | China | Boeing, Apple, Nvidia, Tesla | high | fmprc.gov.cn | |
| Air Products commits record capital to South Korea chip fabs The industrial gas supplier filed plans with Seoul on Sept. 4 to build dedicated Pyeongtaek facilities for Samsung Electronics,… | Korea | Air Products, Samsung Electronics, Axcelis Technologies, Corning | medium | airproducts.com | |
| CATL holds 314Ah storage cell prices steady at 0.423 yuan Official platform listings on Sept. 4 contradicted trade reports of aggressive price cuts, even as South Korean battery makers… | China | Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, SK On | medium | indexbox.io | |
| China waives African import duties to lock in strategic ores Beijing’s tariff exemption across 53 countries accelerated imports of copper, lithium and farm produce through July, insulating… | China | China Baowu Steel Group, Zijin Mining Group, CMOC Group | high | mofcom.gov.cn |
Most exposed this quarter
Other reports for 2026 Q3
Compiled from East Asia Brief briefings published in 2026 Q3. 15 of 20 entries link the document they rest on; the source column points at that document, not at our coverage of it. Confidence grades are explained on our methodology page. A quarter closes when it ends — this page does not change afterwards except to correct an error. Something missing? Tell us.
Cite as: East Asia Brief, “Tariffs in East Asia — 2026 Q3.” https://eastasiabrief.com/reports/2026-q3/tariffs