United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson has expressed confidence that a bilateral trade agreement between her country and the Philippines is within reach.
Meanwhile, President Marcos said he had a “very good conversation” with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on strengthening bilateral cooperation on trade, defense, and regional peace.
“If you don’t have trade disputes and negotiations, you don’t have trade. So in that sense, I know trade is an ever evolving issue and we will continue to work together as friends, partners, and allies, particularly in prosperity,” she said during an interview at the U.S. Embassy’s Fourth of July celebration
Her comments came days before the imminent expiration of a 90-day pause on new U.S. tariff rates, originally imposed under the administration of President Donald Trump.
The temporary relief, which covered many U.S. trading partners, is scheduled to end on July 9.
Trump recently confirmed that he has no plans to extend the pause, saying affected governments will be formally notified.
President Marcos’ phone call took place early Thursday evening, lasting about 20 minutes, according to the Presidential Communications Office.
In a social media post on Friday, the President said he and Carney explored ways to deepen bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to mutual goals in the Indo-Pacific region.
“We discussed how our two nations can further strengthen and deepen cooperation in trade, defence and maintaining peace in our region,” Marcos said.
He also expressed appreciation for Canada’s swift response and support for Filipinos affected by the recent stabbing incident at the Lapu-Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver.
“I conveyed our gratitude for Canada’s swift assistance to the Filipino community in Vancouver following the tragic incident,” the Chief Executive said.
Canada is home to a large number of Filipinos, and officials from both countries have long emphasized people-to-people ties as a cornerstone of their partnership.
President Marcos said he looked forward to building on the discussions to enhance cooperation for mutual benefits.