Trump Threatens to Double Tariffs on South Korea Over Gas Pipeline
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President Trump has threatened to double tariffs on South Korea. He says this will happen if the country does not help pay for a natural gas pipeline in Alaska.
A pipeline is a long system of pipes used to move gas or oil over long distances. Trump wants this Alaska pipeline to be partly paid for by South Korea.
According to Trump, the pipeline was already part of a trade deal made last year. In that deal, the US agreed to lower tariffs on South Korean imports.
In exchange, South Korea agreed to invest large amounts of money in the United States. Trump claims this investment money should help fund the Alaska pipeline project.
Trump now says South Korea has not followed through on this part of the deal. He is warning that tariffs could double if the country does not pay.
Tariffs are taxes added to goods when they enter a country. Higher tariffs usually make imported products more expensive for buyers.
This dispute comes amid a wider wave of US political news. Trump's comments were reported alongside other major stories involving US politics.
It is not yet clear how South Korea will respond to Trump's latest threat, or whether the countries will reach a new agreement on the pipeline funding.
Vocabulary7 words
- threatened
- warned that something bad will happen
- tariffs
- extra taxes added to goods from other countries
- pipeline
- a long pipe system that carries gas or oil
- imports
- goods brought into a country from abroad
- invest
- to put money into something hoping to gain more later
- dispute
- a disagreement between two sides
- agreement
- a decision both sides accept
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Double tariffs 2. South Korea would help pay for the Alaska pipeline 3. False
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
President Trump has _____ to double tariffs on South Korea.
He wants the country to help pay for a natural gas _____ in Alaska.
According to Trump, the pipeline was part of a trade _____ made last year.
In that deal, the US agreed to lower tariffs on South Korean _____.
South Korea agreed to _____ large amounts of money in the United States.
Trump says South Korea has not followed through on this part of the _____.
Tariffs are taxes added to goods when they enter a _____.
This _____ comes amid a wider wave of US political news.
It is unclear whether the countries will reach a new _____ on funding.
Discussion questions
- Why might a country use tariffs as a bargaining tool in trade deals?
- What challenges might arise from building a pipeline across long distances like Alaska?
- How could rising tariffs affect everyday consumers in either country?
- Do you think public threats are an effective way to negotiate trade agreements? Why or why not?
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