U.S. Agrees Trade Deal with Philippines Amid Geopolitical Tension

US President Donald Trump meets with Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 22, 2025. Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social account that the United States will impose 19% tariffs on the Philippines, slightly reduced from the 20% he threatened earlier. The U.S. will have tariff-free access to the Philippine market.

The Philippines will also continue military cooperation aimed at containing Chinese influence in the South China Sea.

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