President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to travel to Washington, D.C. from July 20 to 22 for a high-level meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at bolstering economic and defense cooperation between the Philippines and the United States.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that the visit, made at Trump’s invitation, will culminate in a bilateral meeting at the White House. A key focus of the trip is the escalating U.S. tariff on Philippine exports, which has been raised from 17% to 20%.
“As you are all aware, the President’s official visit also aims to address the U.S. tariff proposed to be levied on Philippine exports,” said Assistant Secretary Raquel Solano of the DFA Office of American Affairs during a Palace briefing on Friday.
Solano said both countries are working toward reaching a “mutually acceptable, mutually beneficial” agreement on trade. Marcos is also scheduled to meet with top American business groups already eyeing investments in the Philippines.
On July 21, the Philippine leader will sit down with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to tackle regional security and strategic cooperation.
“The purpose of this visit is to further strengthen the Philippines-United States alliance, to proactively engage the U.S. in all aspects of the relations and seize opportunities for greater security and economic cooperation,” Solano said, noting the country’s economic resilience is key to its role as a reliable partner.
With the Philippines slated to chair ASEAN in 2026, Marcos will formally invite Trump to attend the East Asia Summit in Manila. The DFA highlighted the symbolic importance of next year, which marks 80 years of diplomatic relations and 75 years of the defense alliance between the two nations.
Joining Marcos on the trip are key officials including Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Trade Secretary Christina Roque, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, Acting Presidential Communications Secretary Dave Gomez, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go, and Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez.
