Elisa Lee became obsessed with Korean skincare in 2012, right before it went mainstream in her native China. She loved it so much, in fact, that she started a dedicated K-beauty Instagram page, which she runs to this day. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she says about President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariff” agenda, which sees South Korean exports levied with a 25 per cent hike on US imports. “I think everything will become more expensive, including Korean skincare. If it does, there’s a big chance I would just buy the staples and try fewer new products.”
The influencer now lives in Amsterdam, but if South Korea’s acting president Han Duck-soo’s upcoming negotiations with Trump do not result in a “mutually beneficial” agreement, many K-beauty retailers may be forced to pass on some or all of their increased costs to customers. This may have a knock-on effect for K-beauty fans like Lee, who do not live in the States.
