US and Philippines have finallised a trade agreement, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday thafter meeting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House. According to the reports, under the new trade agreement, the US will reduce its tariff rate on Philippine slightly, while American exports to the Philippines will not be levied any tariffs.
US-Philippines Trade Agreement
Trump revealed the general terms of the deal through his social media platform without gpoing into specifics, saying that beyond trade talks the two countries will also deepen their military cooperation. The two countries are seeing strong economic cooperation in view of developments in the Indo-Pacific region where China is building its influence.
Marcos’ administration before meeting Trump had signaled that it is willing to offer zero tariffs on certain US products to facilitate a trade deal with the Trump administration.
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Philippines President Ferdinand Marco Jr. Meets Donald Trump
Marcos’ three-day visit to Washington is seen as a high significance visit for the US-Philippines alliance, especially in light of China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. The two countries have previously clashed over contested areas such as the Scarborough Shoal.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump stated the U.S. would impose a 19% tariff on goods from the Philippines, a reduction from the 20% tariff he had threatened to implement starting August 1. In exchange, the Philippines would maintain an open market, allowing U.S. products to enter without tariffs.
However, without further elaboration, the exact economic impact of the deal on either country remains unclear.
Trump described Marcos’ visit as “beautiful” and called the Philippine president a “very good, and tough, negotiator,” expressing that it was a “Great Honor” to host him.
Philippines President Ferdinand Marco Jr. Praises US-Philippines Relationship
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office before their private meeting, Marcos highlighted the importance of the bilateral relationship.
“This has evolved into as important a relationship as is possible to have,” Marcos said. He is the first Southeast Asian leader to meet with Trump during his second term.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
