US President Donald Trump revealed that the United States has finalized a new trade agreement with the Philippines on July 22. The announcement came after a high-level meeting between Trump and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House.
Deal Aims to Strengthen Economic Partnership
Trump shared the news on Truth Social, calling the deal a significant move to boost economic relations between the two countries.
“President Ferdinand Marcos, of the Philippines, is just leaving the White House… We concluded our Trade Deal, whereby The Philippines is going OPEN MARKET with the United States, and ZERO Tariffs,” Trump wrote.
Contradiction Over Tariff Rate
Although Trump said the Philippines would adopt a zero-tariff open market approach, he also mentioned that the country would pay a 19 per cent tariff. The reason for this apparent contradiction wasn’t clarified in the post.
Military Cooperation Also Highlighted
Besides trade, Trump emphasized closer military cooperation between the two nations. He praised Marcos Jr. for his negotiation skills, saying, “We will work together militarily… He [Marcos Jr.] is a very good and tough negotiator.”
Ties with China Under Discussion
During their meeting in the Oval Office, both leaders also talked about the Philippines’ diplomatic strategy, especially how it plans to balance relations between the United States and China.
