Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque is set to fly to Washington D.C. on April 29, 2025 for high-level negotiations with the United States Trade Representative (USTR), with tariff reductions and stronger bilateral trade ties at the top of the agenda.
“We’re set already on the 29th,” Roque confirmed on the sidelines of the Franchsie Asia Philippines 2025, referring to her upcoming trip with Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Secretary Frederick Go. The official visit will run until May 2, 2025
Roque said the Philippine delegation is scheduled to meet with USTR officials and her direct counterpart, although the full list of American participants is yet to be finalized.
“Our goal in the meeting is to get what’s best for our country, to bring down tariffs and strengthen the US-Philippine trade relationship,” she said.
While no specific targets have been set, Roque said her team has been consulting extensively with stakeholders across industries—including manufacturers, exporters, and importers—to build a unified negotiating position.
“We want a consensus. It shouldn’t just be based on what we think, but on what the industries need,” she said.
The DTI has gathered inputs from manufacturers and is now reviewing recommendations from importers, she said.
She said stakeholders wanted tariffs that are lower than those of the ASEAN neighbors, giving Filipino products a competitive edge in the US market.
Roque said tariff reductions could be balanced, with increased imports from the US, particularly in agriculture.
“We’ll try to get more soybeans, frozen meat at higher volume. But of course, we need to make sure our own agricultural sector can handle the balance,” she said.
Roque confirmed that the discussions may involve the push for a free trade agreement (FTA), and that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. supports the DTI’s initiative to pursue the FTA.
She also cited ongoing internal discussions, with the country’s economic team finalizing its position ahead of the trip.
