Tariffs in East Asia — 2026 Q3
Every Tariffs development in Korean, Chinese and Japanese industry that East Asia Brief logged in 2026 Q3 — 57 entries with dates, the companies exposed, and the primary document behind each one.
57developments logged
33with a primary document
4markets touched
146companies 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 | — | — | |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | — | high | mofcom.gov.cn | |
| BYD tests Ti7 in Canada with second-generation Blade battery A leaked evaluation sheet shows an all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid setup that the Shenzhen automaker has not deployed in its… | China | BYD, Transport Canada | medium | eletric-vehicles.com | |
| Tesla sweeps Canada EV import quota as Chinese makers wait Ottawa rolled over 8,897 unused vehicle slots on Sept. 1 into a 33,397-car window, leaving Elon Musk's Shanghai plant as the main… | Global | Tesla, BYD, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Ford Motor | medium | globalchinaev.com | |
| Sungrow picks Samsung SDI cells to protect US storage sales The Chinese grid supplier is securing South Korean lithium iron phosphate cells to sidestep rising tariffs and safeguard… | China | Sungrow Power Supply, Samsung SDI, Stellantis | medium | samsungsdi.com | |
| Korea Customs finds $410 million tariff-rate quota abuse across 10 firms The agency will tighten declaration deadlines and surcharge caps after 10 food importers evaded 58.6 billion won in taxes by… | Korea | Korea Customs Service, National Tax Service | medium | policenews24.co.kr | |
| China confirms reciprocal tariff talks with US on $30B trade Working-level negotiators seek to apply most-favored-nation duties to non-sensitive imports through a newly formed bilateral… | China | Boeing, General Electric, Tokyo Electron | high | mofcom.gov.cn | |
| GM and Stellantis weigh Korean auto parts suppliers amid China risks Detroit automakers held over 200 sourcing meetings with 61 Korean component vendors as supply chain derisking pressures mount… | Global | General Motors, Stellantis, CNH Industrial, Samsung SDI | high | sec.gov | |
| Lotus absorbs 18.8% EU tariff to defend European deliveries The Zhejiang Geely affiliate relies on hybrid models and parent capital to absorb Brussels import duties after reporting a $151… | China | Lotus Technology, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Porsche, Bayerische Motoren Werke | high | eur-lex.europa.eu | |
| China opens zero-tariff market access for Seychelles goods The early harvest agreement eliminates import duties across all tariff lines for the island state as Beijing expands its… | China | COSCO Shipping Holdings, China State Construction Engineering | high | mofcom.gov.cn | |
| China and South Africa advance battery mineral refining pact Beijing seeks overseas processing hubs to bypass Western trade barriers as Pretoria demands that refiners add value to its 37%… | China | Contemporary Amperex Technology, BYD | high | english.mofcom.gov.cn | |
| China Gas buys US LNG from Venture Global under 20-year pact The 0.5-million-tonne annual purchase expands the Chinese distributor's contracted volume from Louisiana export terminals to 2.5… | China | China Gas Holdings, Venture Global, PetroChina, Sinopec | high | energy.gov | |
| BYD plans three European car plants to counter EU tariffs Special adviser Alfredo Altavilla confirmed Sept. 16 that the Chinese carmaker seeks three assembly facilities and a battery cell… | China | BYD, Stellantis, Renault, Volkswagen | high | www1.hkexnews.hk | |
| US House advances 100% tariff bill on Russian crude buyers The measure targets major importers including India and China with secondary duties, threatening refining margins built on… | Global | Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, Reliance Industries, Nayara Energy | high | rules.house.gov | |
| Stellantis shifts Leapmotor electric car assembly to Spain The Franco-Italian automaker prepares 40,000 units of annual B10 SUV capacity in Zaragoza after abandoning Polish… | China | Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology, Stellantis N.V., Contemporary Amperex Technology, Chery Automobile | high | media.stellantis.com | |
| US and Japan weigh $19 billion GlobalFoundries fab under tariff pact Washington and Tokyo review funding for a US logic chip factory operated by GlobalFoundries as part of Japan's $550 billion… | Global | GlobalFoundries, Tokyo Electron, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Toyota Motor | high | sec.gov | |
| SK hynix subsidiary Solidigm weighs NAND fab in New York The South Korean memory producer said Sept. 18 that no terms are settled, as Washington pressures foreign chipmakers to onshore… | Korea | SK hynix, Solidigm, Intel, Micron Technology | high | kind.krx.co.kr | |
| Chinese EVs capture 35% Korea market share under 8% tariff Automakers urged lawmakers at a National Assembly forum to enact domestic production tax credits after shipments from Shanghai… | Korea | Tesla, BYD, Hyundai Motor, LG Energy Solution | high | kamos.or.kr | |
| China and US Open Talks to Cut LNG Tariffs Ahead of Summit Delegations led by Vice Premier He Lifeng and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent review duties on American gas cargoes under a… | Global | Venture Global, China Gas Holdings, JERA, Korea Gas Corporation | high | mofcom.gov.cn | |
| Trump signs sanctions act authorizing 100% tariffs on oil buyers The measure targets goods from the top five purchasers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, putting Indian and Chinese supply… | Global | Reliance Industries, Indian Oil Corporation, Sinopec, China National Petroleum Corporation | high | whitehouse.gov | |
| CATL develops tall pickup batteries to bypass US tariffs Tests conducted by American automakers show the Chinese supplier is targeting commercial trucks through technology licensing to… | China | Contemporary Amperex Technology, Ford Motor, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI | medium | ft.com | |
| Southeast Asia beats India in China Plus One race, data show Higher capital efficiency in Vietnam and Malaysia outmatches India's cheaper wages as Indian exports fell to 22.3% of output in… | Global | — | medium | business-standard.com | |
| LG Energy Solution wins NVIDIA DSX Ready status for AI power backup The South Korean battery maker joins Tesla and Hitachi Energy in the chip designer's validated equipment list, offering… | Korea | LG Energy Solution, NVIDIA, Tesla, Hitachi Energy | medium | news.lgensol.com | |
| CATL lists 587Ah storage cells online to reset grid pricing at $65/kWh The battery maker posted a wholesale spot price of 0.415 yuan per watt-hour on CATL Mall, widening direct access for mid-tier… | China | Contemporary Amperex Technology, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, EVE Energy | medium | news.chemnet.com | |
| SK hynix weighs Intel alliance for U.S. memory production Preliminary talks explore front-end wafer fabrication at Intel's Ohio site alongside SK hynix's $4 billion Indiana packaging… | Korea | SK hynix, Intel, TSMC | medium | mk.co.kr | |
| BYD Commits Over $1B to Brazil EV Manufacturing The Chinese automaker's Sept. 25 pledge builds on a $1.1 billion first-phase plant already targeting 150,000 vehicles a year by… | China | BYD | medium | autonews.gasgoo.com | |
| China Agrees to Import 10 Million Tons of US Coal Annually The White House announced the two-year energy purchase alongside tariff relief on $30 billion of goods, but Beijing omitted the… | China | Peabody Energy, Warrior Met Coal, China Baowu Steel Group, China Energy Investment Corp | high | whitehouse.gov | |
| Tesla buys China actuator parts for US Optimus robot factory Factory audits across Zhejiang province cover initial orders for 5,000 units, anchoring mechanical joint production in China… | China | Tesla, Ningbo Tuopu Group, Zhejiang Sanhua Intelligent Controls, Ningbo Joyson Electronic | high | sec.gov | |
| White House keeps chip export controls after Xi-Trump summit Bilateral summit readouts carve out $30 billion in consumer goods for tariff relief, but U.S. | Global | Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, ASML | high | whitehouse.gov | |
| Commerce exempts South Korean biopharma from import tariffs on Sept. 29 New BIS rules grant zero-tariff entry for antibody-drug conjugates and cell therapies from 19 allied jurisdictions, shielding… | Korea | Samsung Biologics, Celltrion, GC Biopharma | high | govinfo.gov | |
| Korean power gear makers book grid orders on US fab growth Surging battery storage deployments and grid bottlenecks across North America lift combined order backlogs at South Korea's three… | Korea | HD Hyundai Electric, Hyosung Heavy Industries, LS ELECTRIC, LG Energy Solution | high | kotra.or.kr | |
| Malaysia overtakes China in US drone market as tariffs bite A report by Rare Earth Exchanges shows Malaysian facilities shipped 348,400 drones to America, capturing 84% of micro-UAS imports… | Global | Anzu Robotics, SZ DJI Technology, Lynas Rare Earths, JS Link | medium | rareearthexchanges.com | |
| SK On signs 18 GWh US battery storage pact with NeoVolta The five-year framework converts unallocated EV pouch cell lines in Georgia to lithium iron phosphate stationary storage for… | Korea | SK On, NeoVolta, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI | high | sec.gov | |
| China MOFCOM Excludes Soybeans From $30B US Tariff Relief The exemption lowers duties to baseline rates on over 90% of 1,619 American products, leaving raw oilseed imports under an extra… | China | Sinograin, COFCO, Archer-Daniels-Midland, Bunge | high | mofcom.gov.cn | |
| POSCO Future M signs $776M LFP cathode supply deal with SK On The three-year agreement covers battery cells produced at SK On's Georgia plant for North American energy storage systems,… | Korea | POSCO Future M, SK On, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI | high | dart.fss.or.kr | |
| TSMC weighs second US chip hub in Texas as orders expand Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is evaluating up to six wafer fabs in Dallas to serve American customers that generated… | Global | TSMC, Nvidia, Apple | high | sec.gov | |
| German industry stockpiles critical minerals for China trade talks Industrial buyers expand rare earth and gallium reserves as Brussels prepares for October negotiations in Beijing, while US… | Global | Tradium, BMW | medium | harici.com.tr | |
| Fanuc and Yaskawa Expand US Robot Plants to Meet AI Factory Push The Japanese automation leaders are committing over $270 million to new Michigan and Wisconsin campuses as North American… | Japan | Fanuc Corporation, Yaskawa Electric Corporation | medium | fanuc.co.jp | |
| China Imposes 55% Tariff on Brazil Beef as Imports Hit Quota The commerce ministry will collect a combined 67% duty starting Oct. | China | Minerva SA, JBS SA | high | mofcom.gov.cn |
Most exposed this quarter
Other reports for 2026 Q3
Compiled from East Asia Brief briefings published in 2026 Q3. 52 of 57 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