A high-level Philippine delegation is set to travel to Washington D.C. next week to renegotiate tariffs recently imposed by the United States on Philippine exports, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Leading the delegation is Frederick Go, special assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs and chair of the Economic Development Committee. He will be joined by newly appointed Trade Secretary Cristina Roque and Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, who also serves as managing head of the Board of Investments.
The mission comes in response to a directive by U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently informed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. of the decision to raise tariffs on Philippine goods entering the U.S. to 20 percent, effective August 1. The announcement marks a notable increase from the 17 percent reciprocal tariff declared in April during the so-called “Liberation Day” event.
The July 9 letter from Trump also outlined similar tariff hikes for other countries, including Brunei, Algeria, Libya, Iraq, and Moldova, with new rates ranging between 20 and 30 percent. In total, 20 nations—among them U.S. allies Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Thailand—received formal notification of the tariff increases.
Trump’s communication left room for negotiation, stating that adjustments may be made depending on changes in trade policies by the affected countries. The Philippine delegation hopes to use next week’s talks as an opportunity to secure more favorable terms and mitigate the economic impact of the new duties on local industries.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has not yet issued a formal statement on the matter.