U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met counterparts in Southeast Asia on Thursday during his first visit to Asia since taking office, seeking to reassure them the region is a U.S. priority despite President Donald Trump's tariff offensive.

President Donald Trump on Monday set a 25% tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, as well as new tariff rates on a dozen other countries.

While South Korean imports to the U.S. face 25% tariffs, the same as Trump promised in April, the rate on Japan has been raised by 1 percentage point to 25%.

President Donald Trump on Monday informed seven nations, including Japan and South Korea, that new tariffs of at least 25% will be imposed starting Aug. 1 on most goods sent to the United States.

It shows that personal grudges rather than simple economics are a driving force in the U.S. leader’s use of tariffs.

In letters so far to 14 countries, including smaller exporters to the United States such as Serbia, Thailand and Tunisia, Trump hinted at opportunities for additional negotiations, even while warning that reprisals would draw a like-for-like response.

Following White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's statement that more letters are expected soon, the United States President posted five more letters to Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Lao People's Democratic Republic, and South Africa. 25 percent tariff has been imposed on Tunisia on its imports.

Donald Trump's insistence that "spoiled" Japan imports more US rice is adding to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's problems ahead of elections that could sink his premiership after less than a year in office.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met counterparts in Southeast Asia during his first visit to the region since taking office.

President Donald Trump's threats to impose high tariffs on countries make U.S. trading partners and investors nervous. But his sector tariffs could hurt consumers and businesses more in the long run.