Marcos goal: A trade deal unique to US-PH ties

MANILA, Philippines — Negotiating a bilateral trade deal that will result in collaborations “only the United States and the Philippines will be able to take advantage of” will be the top priority of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who left Manila on Sunday morning for his three-day official visit to Washington.

In his pre-departure speech at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, Marcos said his meeting with US President Donald Trump was “essential to continuing to advance our national interests and strengthening our alliance.”

“My top priority for this visit is to push for greater economic engagement, particularly through trade and investment between the Philippines and the United States,” he said.

“I intend to convey to President Trump and his Cabinet officials that the Philippines is ready to negotiate a bilateral trade deal that will ensure strong, mutually beneficial, and future-oriented collaborations that only the United States and the Philippines will be able to take advantage of,” the president said.

‘Very severe’ tariff

Also high on his agenda is the proposed 20-percent US tariff on Philippine exports taking effect on Aug. 1, which he hopes to address through constructive and mutually beneficial dialogue with the Trump administration.

“And we will see how much progress we can make when it comes to the negotiations with the United States concerning the changes that we would like to institute so as to be able to alleviate the effects of a very severe tariff schedule on the Philippines,” Marcos said.

The United States is the country’s biggest trading partner as well as its leading export destination in 2024, accounting for 16.6 percent of $73.27 billion in export sales, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Over the past five years, US foreign investment in the Philippines has amounted to P165.93 billion, according to the Philippine Embassy in Washington.

As he did in his past trips abroad, the president is expected to meet with business leaders to explore opportunities that will help grow the country’s economy.

Caretakers

Accompanying Marcos are Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, Presidential Communications Office acting Secretary Dave Gomez, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go, and Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez.

The Philippine delegation is expected to arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland by 3:10 a.m. on July 21 (Manila time).

In his absence, Marcos appointed Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, and Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III as government caretakers.

“The order of the president is to continue the work while he’s away. Anyway, we keep in constant communication with him during all the time that he is away from the country,” Bersamin said.

Tight schedule

Aside from economic issues, Marcos and Trump are also expected to discuss ways to enhance defense cooperation and maritime security, as well as efforts to maintain regional stability amid evolving geopolitical challenges.

The President is first scheduled to meet separately with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on July 21.

The following day, he will meet with Trump at the White House. He will then conclude his brief visit with his regular briefing with the Philippine media delegation before returning to Manila on July 22.

Due to a tight schedule, Malacañang said the president would be unable to meet with the Filipino community in the United States.

Active exchanges

Marcos is the first head of state from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to meet with President Trump since his return to the White House in January 2025, underscoring the continued strength of Philippines-US relations.

According to Marcos, his visit to the United States was built on the active exchanges between the longtime military allies since Trump assumed the presidency.

These include the meeting between Rubio and then-Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo in February; Hegseth’s visit to Manila in March; the visit of a bipartisan US congressional delegation in April; and the courtesy visit to Malacañang by US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in June.

Manila and Washington have an enduring, nearly 80-year-old alliance founded on deep historical and cultural ties.

The Philippines gained its independence from the United States on July 4, 1946, with diplomatic relations formally established on the same day.

The 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty provides a strong foundation for the robust security partnership between the two countries. —With a report from Faith Argosino

(2025/07/21-05:55)

To read a full story, please click here to find out how to subscribe.