Trade Secretary Cristina A. Roque on Friday expressed that the Philippines is contemplating importing a larger quantity of agricultural items from the US as it aims to negotiate a reduced tariff rate next week.
Ms. Roque, along with Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick D. Go, will be present in Washington from April 29 to May 2 for discussions on tariffs with their US counterparts.
“The objective of the meeting is to secure what is most advantageous for the nation, which is clearly to lower the tariffs and to strongly emphasize that we will maintain our robust partnership with the US,” Ms. Roque informed reporters on the sidelines of the Franchise Asia Philippines 2025 International Conference and Expo on Friday.
To accomplish this, she stated that the Philippines is aiming to boost the quantity of imports from the US, especially in agricultural products.
“Therefore, we will attempt to import more from them. For example, soybeans and frozen meat, so agricultural goods … but we must also ensure a balance with our own agricultural sector,” she added.
When questioned if a free trade agreement (FTA) remains a possibility, she remarked that “we will still need to determine if we can truly secure an FTA … but we will consider all potential options.”
Ms. Roque disclosed that the Philippine economic team plans to convene a meeting before their trip to gather insights from various industries to understand what the nation will be prepared to present during negotiations.
“We aim to achieve a consensus as well, so when we make a decision, it’s not just based on our perspective, but grounded in consultations with different sectors,” she stated.
“Because we desire that whatever we negotiate will benefit the Philippine industry.”
In response to a question about the desired level to which they hope to reduce the 17% tariff rate, Ms. Roque indicated that this will be one of the matters finalized during the economic team’s meeting before their trip.
“But certainly, they (the stakeholders) are advocating for tariffs lower than those of neighboring countries, as once our tariffs decrease, it grants us a competitive advantage in conducting business with the US,” she said.
Earlier this month, US President Donald J. Trump implemented 10% blanket tariffs on all its trading partners but paused a plan to enact higher reciprocal tariffs on certain countries for 90 days.
Philippine exports to the US currently encounter a 17% tariff, the second lowest among Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, following Singapore’s baseline rate of 10%. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
