Tariff, defense top agenda during July 20-22 Washington visit
President Ferdinand Marcos will visit Washington next week to discuss trade and defense relations with United States President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday.
The July 20 to 22 working visit, which was announced days after the US slapped a 20 percent tariff rate on Philippine exports, was confirmed by Malacanang and the Department of Foreign affairs said Friday,
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said Mr. Marcos is set to meet with Trump, Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to discuss “defense and economic ties.”
It will be the first official visit of Mr. Marcos to the United States since Trump took office, and the first bilateral meeting for the two leaders, who previously had an informal chat during the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican in April.
“We have a great relationship with Japan and the Philippines, and work very closely with them on the economic corridor, on maritime security and territorial integrity – and continue to build upon that partnership, and look forward to hosting the president of the Philippines in Washington in a few days,” Rubio said in an interview during the sidelines of an ASEAN ministerial meeting in Malaysia.
Rubio held a trilateral meeting with his Japanese and Filipino counterparts—Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Secretary Theresa Lazaro – during the Kuala Lumpur gathering.
Manila and Washington have deepened their cooperation since Mr. Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on Beijing’s South China Sea claims.
Bound by a 1951 mutual defense treaty, the two allies conduct frequent maritime exercises in the disputed waterway, with Washington warning it is committed to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces or vessels come under attack.
On Thursday, Manila said it will seek fresh talks with Washington over its newly-imposed 20 percent tariff on Philippine exports – up from the previously announced 17 percent rate, but the second lowest in ASEAN, next only to Singapore’s 10 percent.
Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said a delegation will fly to Washington next week to seek clarity and initiate negotiations in a bid to review or recalibrate the 20 percent tariff, set to take effect on August 1.
Roque will be joined by Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs of the Philippines Frederick Go and undersecretaries Perry Rodolfo and Allan Gepty.
Rubio, for his part, said Asian nations might get “better” tariff rates than the rest of the world as he attended the ASEAN talks focused on Washington’s trade war.
Rubio’s visit to Malaysia came after Trump threatened this week to impose punitive tariffs on more than 20 countries if they did not strike deals with Washington by August 1.
“I would say that when all is said and done, many of the countries in Southeast Asia are going to have tariff rates that are actually better than countries in other parts of the world,” Rubio said.
Trump has told more than 20 countries, many in Asia, they face tariffs ranging from 20 to 50 percent, and announced a 50 percent toll on copper imports and a possible 200 percent duty on pharmaceuticals. With AFP
