Tariffs in East Asia — 2026 Q4
Every Tariffs development in Korean, Chinese and Japanese industry that East Asia Brief logged in 2026 Q4 — 47 entries with dates, the companies exposed, and the primary document behind each one.
47developments logged
30with a primary document
4markets touched
127companies named
| Date | Development | Where | Companies exposed | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok hires Akin Gump to steer US trade and export controls A disclosure filed Sept. 25 shows the video platform paid $110,000 to navigate algorithm and customs restrictions, dropping… | China | TikTok Inc., ByteDance Ltd., Ballard Partners LLC, Crossroads Strategies LLC | medium | legis1.com | |
| CATL signs 1.64 GWh battery storage deal for Mexican grid The contract equips the La Alegría solar project with Chinese LFP containers, expanding site storage capacity more than fivefold… | China | Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Comisión Federal de Electricidad | medium | ess-news.com | |
| PIIE ties $99.8 billion US-China trade gap to tariff evasion Bilateral customs gaps reached 63% of American imports through July, pointing to transshipment through Vietnam as US tariff rates… | Global | — | medium | piie.com | |
| CATL widens global EV battery lead to 39.4% as Korean share slips Seven Chinese producers took 73.3% of global volume through August, while North American delivery drops dragged LG Energy… | Global | Contemporary Amperex Technology, LG Energy Solution, SK On, BYD | medium | sneresearch.com | |
| Korea Urges USTR to Strictly Honor 15% Bilateral Tariff Cap Trade Minister Park Jung-sung pressed Washington to prevent new trade measures from breaching the agreed duty limit as Korean… | Korea | Hyundai Motor, Kia, Posco Holdings, Hyundai Steel | high | kaaanews.or.kr | |
| Japan leads India FDI with $5.7 billion as factories expand Ministry data shows Tokyo supplied 28.8% of New Delhi's $19.81 billion first-quarter equity inflows as automakers and component… | Japan | Suzuki Motor, TDK, Murata Manufacturing | medium | sundayguardianlive.com | |
| USTR puts no timeline on $60B US-China tariff cuts as supply chains wait Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says domestic legal reviews must precede duty relief on 77 product lines, leaving Asian… | Global | Midea Group, Haier Smart Home | high | ustr.gov | |
| USTR lowers China consumer tariffs, squeezing Southeast Asian hubs A bilateral agreement to restore single-digit duties on $30 billion of Chinese exports reverses a tariff advantage Southeast… | Global | — | high | ustr.gov | |
| BYD Widens BEV Lead Over Tesla to Record 275,946 Cars in Q3 Chinese automaker delivered 762,478 pure electric vehicles in the third quarter, outstripping Tesla by 56.7% as vertical battery… | Global | Tesla, BYD Company, Contemporary Amperex Technology, LG Energy Solution | high | ir.tesla.com | |
| China waives African tariffs to lock in critical minerals Beijing reaffirmed duty-free access across 53 African nations on Oct. | China | Transnet, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine Resource Group, Contemporary Amperex Technology | high | mofcom.gov.cn | |
| Trump Threatens Korea With Tariffs Over $54B Alaska LNG Deal Washington demands full funding for the Arctic energy corridor while Seoul insists a bilateral agreement covers only preliminary… | Korea | Glenfarne Group, Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, Korea Gas Corporation | medium | chosun.com | |
| US Senator Daines urges China talks to protect rare earths The appeal follows a 21% drop in August magnet imports from China, with bilateral working groups seeking to avert shortages… | China | MP Materials, USA Rare Earth | high | daines.senate.gov | |
| U.S.-China Board of Trade sets tariff cuts on corn and beef as raw soybeans stay excluded The U.S.-China Board of Trade released a 30-for-30 framework on Sept. | Global | Archer-Daniels-Midland, Bunge Global, Tyson Foods, JBS USA | high | whitehouse.gov | |
| China widens offshore wind turbine cost lead over Europe Domestic equipment prices near $195 per kilowatt and 48.4 gigawatts of operating capacity leave Western developers facing higher… | Global | Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology, Envision Energy, Mingyang Smart Energy Group, Vestas Wind Systems | medium | greentechlead.com | |
| Hyundai Steel and POSCO build US plant to bypass Section 232 The Korea Iron & Steel Association endorsed bilateral energy projects on Oct. | Korea | Hyundai Steel, POSCO, Hyundai Motor, Kia | medium | steeldaily.co.kr | |
| LG Energy Solution clarifies $4.3B Tesla energy storage deal The 5.94 trillion won pact signed in 2025 provides Michigan-made lithium iron phosphate cells for Tesla Megapack 3 units rather… | Korea | LG Energy Solution, Tesla, Contemporary Amperex Technology, General Motors | medium | mk.co.kr | |
| TSMC raises foundry prices for fabless clients by up to 10% in 2027 Mature process nodes face 3% to 10% increases in January while chip designers prepare price hikes of up to double digits to… | Global | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Nvidia, Apple, Samsung Electronics | high | sec.gov | |
| UK weighs tariffs on Chinese electric cars to protect EU supply ties Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds evaluates import duties of up to 45% as Brussels threatens to exclude British carmakers from… | Global | BYD, Geely Automobile Holdings, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW | medium | gov.uk | |
| EU puts China rare earth curbs on trade docket to cut deficit Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič demanded Beijing ease critical mineral export controls as Europe confronts a trade deficit… | Global | Stellantis, Siemens Energy, Neo Performance Materials | high | ec.europa.eu | |
| CATL Surpasses Korean Battery Trio in Markets Outside China The Chinese cell giant captured 33.7% of non-China electric vehicle battery usage through August 2026 as South Korean competitors… | Global | Contemporary Amperex Technology, LG Energy Solution, SK On, Samsung SDI | medium | sneresearch.com | |
| US and China advance $30 billion tariff cuts and AI security channel Both governments will lower duties on 90% of targeted goods to MFN rates while establishing an emergency hotline to manage… | Global | — | high | fmprc.gov.cn | |
| BYD opens second-generation Seagull orders for 2026 rollout The redesigned hatchback lengthens the chassis by 425 mm, installs FinDreams battery packs up to 39.2 kWh and adds optional LiDAR… | China | BYD, Geely Automobile, FinDreams Battery | medium | 163.com | |
| China drops tariffs on African goods to secure mineral supply lines The State Council Tariff Commission expanded duty-free access across 53 partner nations as first-half bilateral trade climbed… | China | Transnet SOC Ltd | high | is.mofcom.gov.cn | |
| US blocks Chinese electric cars from entering via Canada Washington reinforces rules of origin and connected-vehicle bans to prevent circumvention of auto tariffs through Ottawa's quota. | Global | BYD, Geely Automobile, Chery Automobile | high | slotkin.senate.gov | |
| Chinese tiremakers invest 40 billion yuan to build in Egypt Securities filings show six manufacturers are shifting assembly lines and chemical feedstock offshore to bypass Western… | China | Sailun Tire, Linglong Tire, Aeolus Tyre, Lianke Technology | high | big5.sse.com.cn | |
| China caps hybrid car exports to EU to ease rare earth flows A bilateral pact struck Oct. 9 slashes projected vehicle shipments by over 50% across four years while speeding green-channel… | Global | BYD, SAIC Motor, Volkswagen, Stellantis | medium | tvpworld.com | |
| CBP ends sub-$800 duty exemptions as Chinese air cargo falls A proposed customs bond mandate follows the termination of tariff-free entry for shipments valued under $800, forcing platforms… | China | PDD Holdings, Shein | high | whitehouse.gov | |
| Commerce locks in Korean steel duties as mills press quota review Countervailing rates of up to 3.68% land on Seoul producers as U.S. | Korea | POSCO, Hyundai Steel Company, American Iron and Steel Institute, Steel Manufacturers Association | high | federalregister.gov | |
| USTR and MOFCOM set $60B tariff cuts on non-sensitive items The reciprocal pact restores most-favored-nation duties across 90% of targeted lines, dropping surcharges on Chinese toys and… | Global | Mattel, Hasbro, Haier Smart Home, Tyson Foods | high | ustr.gov | |
| EP Manufacturing, Hebei Shichang form RM100m auto parts JV The 200,000-unit Selangor facility will supply fuel tanks for Proton's new modular vehicle architecture starting in March 2027… | Global | EP Manufacturing Bhd, Hebei Shichang Auto Parts Co Ltd, Proton Holdings Bhd, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group | medium | klsescreener.com | |
| Korean battery makers secure non-FEOC LFP supply contracts LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI are locking in North American materials contracts before federal rules end transition relief… | Korea | LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, POSCO Future M, Nvidia | high | federalregister.gov | |
| China ties rare earth permits to European trade concessions Beijing maintains expedited clearances for European magnet buyers under its new industrial doctrine while trading raw mineral… | China | China Northern Rare Earth, JL MAG Rare-Earth | high | ec.europa.eu | |
| GM vets Korean suppliers for prismatic LMR battery lines The automaker advances a $1 billion plant conversion in Tennessee, testing cathodes with POSCO Future M and deploying pilot… | Korea | General Motors, LG Energy Solution, POSCO Future M, PNT | medium | thelec.kr | |
| POSCO Future M Loses Anode Share as Chinese Graphite Surges in 2026 China captured 96% of global battery anode shipments in the second quarter while US tariff relief kept Chinese material at half… | Korea | POSCO Future M, BTR New Material Group, Shangtai Technology, Hunan Shinzoom Technology | medium | sneresearch.com | |
| China battery exports jump 36% as makers build plants abroad Customs data show non-U.S. deliveries offset tariffs as Gotion and CATL anchor capital in European factories and long-term… | China | Gotion High-tech, Contemporary Amperex Technology, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI | high | customs.gov.cn | |
| China offers rare earth export permits to Europe for dual-use relief The Ministry of Commerce said it will process mineral shipments if Brussels resolves individual export approvals for Chinese… | China | ASML Holding, JL MAG Rare-Earth | high | mofcom.gov.cn | |
| Titan Mining plans $50 million Alabama anode graphite plant The Canadian miner agreed to an Army base lease to refine domestic flake into battery-grade materials, countering Chinese control… | Global | Titan Mining | high | sec.gov | |
| Trump waives 100% secondary tariffs on Indian energy imports The White House invoked national security waiver powers under the Graham sanctions law, shielding refiners handling 2 million… | Global | Reliance Industries, Indian Oil Corp, Nayara Energy, Rosneft | high | whitehouse.gov | |
| Chinese EV Makers Build 26 EU Plants to Bypass 27% Tariffs Carmakers and cell suppliers accelerate localized manufacturing across the European Union to circumvent countervailing duties,… | China | BYD, Contemporary Amperex Technology, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI | high | media.byd.com | |
| Korean battery makers win US ESS orders as tariffs hit China Cumulative 40.9% import duties on Chinese cells pushed landed prices to $87 per kilowatt-hour, driving American utility… | Korea | LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, Contemporary Amperex Technology | high | ustr.gov | |
| BYD lifts overseas EV battery volume 66.5% to take 11% share The Chinese automaker offset a four-point domestic installation loss by deploying 39.7 gigawatt-hours abroad through August,… | China | BYD, Contemporary Amperex Technology, LG Energy Solution, SK On | medium | digitimes.com | |
| Korea expands $1 trillion chip hub as US threatens tariffs The 3 trillion won packaging expansion in Gwangju anchors Seoul's domestic manufacturing strategy, even as Washington demands… | Korea | Amkor Technology, Samsung Electronics, SK hynix | high | motir.go.kr | |
| Stellantis pushes Leapmotor European parts past 40% in Spain The joint venture expanded Zaragoza output following the halt of Polish assembly, targeting EU tariff thresholds as Chinese… | China | Stellantis, Leapmotor, BYD, Chery Automobile | high | media.stellantis.com | |
| Trump 100% China tariff threats hit Asian intermediate hubs Reiterated duty threats and tightening country-of-origin rules place South Korean and Vietnamese assembly plants using Chinese… | Global | Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Qcells, LG Energy Solution | high | ustr.gov | |
| MOT secures $7.6M Samsung SDI order for US LFP battery plant The South Korean toolmaker booked a 10.13 billion won contract for StarPlus Energy line three as battery makers convert North… | Korea | MOT, Samsung SDI, Philenergy, Innometry | high | dart.fss.or.kr | |
| FANUC retains hollow-arm robot fleet for factory automation The Japanese robotics maker registered no new hollow-axis models on Oct. | Japan | FANUC Corporation, HD Hyundai Robotics, Hitachi, Microsoft | high | ktc.go.kr | |
| China waives African import tariffs to secure mineral flows South African shipments to Chinese ports surge under a two-year duty exemption covering 53 nations, anchoring battery feedstock… | China | — | high | fmprc.gov.cn |
Most exposed this quarter
Other reports for 2026 Q4
Compiled from East Asia Brief briefings published in 2026 Q4. 47 of 47 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 Q4.” https://eastasiabrief.com/reports/2026-q4/tariffs