President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington in the coming days, marking their first bilateral meeting amid tensions over new U.S. tariffs on Philippine exports.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the meeting during the ASEAN foreign ministers’ summit in Kuala Lumpur, where he met with Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro and Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.
Malacañang later confirmed the upcoming meeting but withheld details on the exact date and nature of the visit. The Philippine ambassador to the U.S., Jose Manuel Romualdez, told the Associated Press that the meeting will take place “very soon,” with earlier reports suggesting a window between July 17 and 22.
The bilateral talks have been in the pipeline since January, following discussions between Rubio and then-Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo on strengthening defense ties and addressing maritime concerns in the West Philippine Sea.
However, the talks now come at a more sensitive time. President Trump recently announced a 20 percent tariff on Philippine exports, which will take effect in August—an increase from the previously proposed 17 percent. The move is part of a broader tariff hike affecting several countries, with Brazil seeing the highest increase at 50 percent.
In response, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go announced he will lead a high-level trade delegation to Washington from July 14 to 18. He will be joined by Trade Secretary Cristina Roque and Undersecretaries Ceferino Rodolfo and Allan Gepty.
“We remain committed to continuing negotiations with the United States in good faith to pursue a bilateral comprehensive economic agreement or, if possible, an FTA,” Go said.
He stressed the importance of in-person meetings with U.S. officials to express the Philippines’ concerns directly. Go previously met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in May and described the talks as productive. Roque added that they had clearly relayed the local industries’ position on the tariff issue.
Also expected to be discussed in the Marcos-Trump meeting is the recently approved U.S. defense deal for the sale of 20 F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets to the Philippines. The aircraft package includes advanced long-range air-to-air missiles and precision-guided munitions. Philippine defense officials have signaled interest in acquiring 20 more jets following the initial delivery.
