South Korea is assessing the potential impact of US President Donald Trump on Thursday signing an order to implement Japan's trade deal that includes a lower 15 percent tariff on autos imported into the US, a Seoul trade official said on Friday.
The lower tariffs on Japanese autos are set to take effect seven days after publication of the order.
The move would put South Korean automakers at a competitive disadvantage to Japanese rivals, as US tariffs on South Korean auto imports remain at 25 percent.
Hyundai Motor shares were down 0.2 percent, while Kia Corp. fell 0.7 percent.
