The U.S. dollar advanced sharply on Monday after former president Donald Trump said he would impose a 25% levy on goods imported from Japan, adding to existing threats of wider tariffs on members of the Brics group. The Japanese yen fell more than 1%, weakening past ¥146 per dollar for the first time since May, according to data compiled from several trading platforms. Prices hovered between ¥145.92 and ¥146.08 in late Asian trading. Currency strategists said the move reflected investor concern that a new round of U.S. trade barriers could slow global growth and redirect capital toward dollar-denominated assets viewed as safer. The dollar’s gains extended beyond the yen, with traders citing additional demand for the greenback in Latin America after local currencies slipped on the prospect of harsher U.S. import duties. Market participants are watching for potential responses from Tokyo and Seoul, which were both singled out in Trump’s comments, as well as from Brics governments that face an approaching tariff deadline. Japan’s finance ministry declined to comment on whether it would enter the market to support the yen, while analysts said any counter-measures could heighten volatility across foreign-exchange markets in the coming days.