MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr meets US President Donald Trump this week, hoping Manila’s standing as a key Asian ally will safe a extra beneficial commerce deal earlier than an Aug 1 deadline.
Marcos would be the first Southeast Asian chief to fulfill Trump in his second time period. Trump has already struck commerce offers with two of Manila’s regional companions, Vietnam and Indonesia, driving powerful bargains in commerce talks even with shut allies that Washington must maintain onside in its strategic rivalry with China.
“I count on our discussions to concentrate on safety and defence, in fact, but additionally on commerce,” Marcos mentioned in a speech earlier than leaving Manila. “We are going to see how a lot progress we are able to make in terms of the negotiations with the US regarding the modifications that we wish to institute to alleviate the results of a really extreme tariff schedule on the Philippines.”
The USA had a deficit of practically US$5 billion with the Philippines final 12 months on bilateral items commerce of US$23.5 billion. Trump this month raised the threatened “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from the Philippines to twenty per cent from 17 per cent threatened in April.
Though US allies in Asia reminiscent of Japan and South Korea have but to strike commerce offers with Trump, Gregory Poling, a Southeast Asia skilled at Washington’s Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research, mentioned Marcos would possibly be capable to do higher than Vietnam, with its settlement of a 20 per cent baseline tariff on its items, and Indonesia at 19 per cent.
“I would not be shocked to see an announcement of a take care of the Philippines at a decrease price than these two,” Poling mentioned.
Marcos, who arrived in Washington on Sunday, is because of maintain talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday earlier than assembly Trump on the White Home on Tuesday. He can even meet US enterprise leaders investing within the Philippines throughout his journey.
