Philippines eyes beneficial tariff deal with US

The Philippine government said that it is confident that it will be able to secure a “mutually advantageous” arrangement with the US ahead of trade talks with US counterparts next month.

“We are confident that, through our strong economic and diplomatic ties, we can find arrangements that are mutually advantageous,” said Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs of the Philippines Frederick D. Go in a statement on Wednesday.

Mr. Go issued the statement following the consultations his office conducted with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and key export leaders.

Mr. Go will lead a delegation to Washington to discuss the tariffs on Philippine goods with the US Trade Representative.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire A. Castro on Monday said that the meeting will take place in the first week of May.

Earlier this month, US President Donald J. Trump introduced 10% blanket tariffs on all its trading partners but paused a plan to impose higher reciprocal tariffs on some countries for 90 days.

Philippine exports to the US face a 17% tariff, the second lowest among Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries after Singapore’s baseline rate of 10%.

According to the DTI, the consultations with export leaders were meant to “gather insights and formulate strategic measures to strengthen bilateral trade with the US amidst the recently imposed US reciprocal tariffs.”

The DTI said the exporters gave their insights on the current market dynamics in the US.

“They elucidated the strategic opportunities and challenges that the current situation presents… The discussions focused on how the government and the private sector can work together in highlighting the Philippines as a reliable and trusted trading partner amidst uncertainties in international trade,” it added.

The DTI expressed confidence that the Philippine government can work with the US in identifying opportunities that will benefit their respective economies.

“The consultative process has enhanced mutual understanding and alignment on shared goals,” Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque said.

According to the Trade chief, the consultations “aim to ensure that views and interests of various sectors are taken into consideration as the government works to secure the best possible outcomes for the Philippines in our trade relations with the US.”

In a previous statement, Ms. Roque said that the Philippines aims to engage the US to facilitate enhanced market access for Washington’s key export interests, such as automobiles, dairy products, frozen meat, and soybeans.

Problems at the ports

Meanwhile, United Portusers Confederation of the Philippines, Inc. President Nelson M. Mendoza said that the US tariffs are a pressing concern for the shipping industry.

“Right now, even the exporters are not in a better position because a lot of their orders, although they were not canceled, were on hold,” Mr. Mendoza told reporters on Wednesday.

“Those orders are being held because of the tariff. Now, because of the 90-day pause, those will probably be initially moved. But after 90 days, we do not know what will happen,” he added.

Mr. Mendoza said the export orders for 2025 were placed in 2024 when rates and costs were lower.

At the same time, he said that the imports will also be affected, as goods coming from the US will be more expensive.

“As the shipping lines said, the route of their vessels will be irregular for probably a moment. For me, I can say for four years at least, as Trump will be there for four years,” he said.

“We are just hoping that the negotiations between the US and other countries will pave the way to at least neutralize it (the situation) a bit,” he added.

However, Mr. Mendoza said that the new tariff measure could also present opportunities, such as Chinese companies increasing their production in the Philippines.

“They might export from the Philippines with a lesser tariff compared to China. They may not necessarily relocate here, but they might increase their production,” he said.

“But the important thing is that we improve our ease of doing business so a lot of them will transfer to us. Because right now we are not competitive in terms of putting up business compared to other Asian countries,” he added.  – Justine Irish D. Tabile, Reporter