Trump says US, Philippines 'very close' to trade deal
"We're going to talk about trade today and we are very close to finishing a trade deal, a big trade deal actually," Trump told reporters at the start of his meeting with the Philippine leader.
Trump has already struck trade deals with two regional partners of the Philippines - Vietnam and Indonesia.
The United States had a deficit of nearly $US5 billion ($A7.7 billion) with the Philippines last year on bilateral goods trade of $US23.5 billion.
Trump this month raised the threatened "reciprocal" tariffs on Philippine imports to 20 per cent, from 17 per cent threatened in April.
Trump said the two countries did "a lot of business" with each other, saying he was surprised to see what he called "very big numbers" that would only grow under a trade agreement.
Gregory Poling, from the Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Marcos might be able to do better than Vietnam, with its agreement of a 20 per cent baseline tariff on its goods, and Indonesia at 19 per cent.
Trump underscored the importance of the US-Philippine military relationship.
"They're a very important nation militarily and we've had some great drills lately," he said.
Marcos, who arrived in Washington DC on Sunday, went to the Pentagon on Monday for talks with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and later met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
During his trip, he will also meet US business leaders investing in the Philippines.
US President Donald Trump has welcomed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to the White House, saying the two countries are close to finalising a trade agreement.
"We're going to talk about trade today and we are very close to finishing a trade deal, a big trade deal actually," Trump told reporters at the start of his meeting with the Philippine leader.
Trump has already struck trade deals with two regional partners of the Philippines - Vietnam and Indonesia.
The United States had a deficit of nearly $US5 billion ($A7.7 billion) with the Philippines last year on bilateral goods trade of $US23.5 billion.
Trump this month raised the threatened "reciprocal" tariffs on Philippine imports to 20 per cent, from 17 per cent threatened in April.
Trump said the two countries did "a lot of business" with each other, saying he was surprised to see what he called "very big numbers" that would only grow under a trade agreement.
Gregory Poling, from the Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Marcos might be able to do better than Vietnam, with its agreement of a 20 per cent baseline tariff on its goods, and Indonesia at 19 per cent.
Trump underscored the importance of the US-Philippine military relationship.
"They're a very important nation militarily and we've had some great drills lately," he said.
Marcos, who arrived in Washington DC on Sunday, went to the Pentagon on Monday for talks with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and later met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
During his trip, he will also meet US business leaders investing in the Philippines.
US President Donald Trump has welcomed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to the White House, saying the two countries are close to finalising a trade agreement.
"We're going to talk about trade today and we are very close to finishing a trade deal, a big trade deal actually," Trump told reporters at the start of his meeting with the Philippine leader.
Trump has already struck trade deals with two regional partners of the Philippines - Vietnam and Indonesia.
The United States had a deficit of nearly $US5 billion ($A7.7 billion) with the Philippines last year on bilateral goods trade of $US23.5 billion.
Trump this month raised the threatened "reciprocal" tariffs on Philippine imports to 20 per cent, from 17 per cent threatened in April.
Trump said the two countries did "a lot of business" with each other, saying he was surprised to see what he called "very big numbers" that would only grow under a trade agreement.
Gregory Poling, from the Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Marcos might be able to do better than Vietnam, with its agreement of a 20 per cent baseline tariff on its goods, and Indonesia at 19 per cent.
Trump underscored the importance of the US-Philippine military relationship.
"They're a very important nation militarily and we've had some great drills lately," he said.
Marcos, who arrived in Washington DC on Sunday, went to the Pentagon on Monday for talks with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and later met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
During his trip, he will also meet US business leaders investing in the Philippines.
US President Donald Trump has welcomed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to the White House, saying the two countries are close to finalising a trade agreement.
"We're going to talk about trade today and we are very close to finishing a trade deal, a big trade deal actually," Trump told reporters at the start of his meeting with the Philippine leader.
Trump has already struck trade deals with two regional partners of the Philippines - Vietnam and Indonesia.
The United States had a deficit of nearly $US5 billion ($A7.7 billion) with the Philippines last year on bilateral goods trade of $US23.5 billion.
Trump this month raised the threatened "reciprocal" tariffs on Philippine imports to 20 per cent, from 17 per cent threatened in April.
Trump said the two countries did "a lot of business" with each other, saying he was surprised to see what he called "very big numbers" that would only grow under a trade agreement.
Gregory Poling, from the Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Marcos might be able to do better than Vietnam, with its agreement of a 20 per cent baseline tariff on its goods, and Indonesia at 19 per cent.
Trump underscored the importance of the US-Philippine military relationship.
"They're a very important nation militarily and we've had some great drills lately," he said.
Marcos, who arrived in Washington DC on Sunday, went to the Pentagon on Monday for talks with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and later met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
During his trip, he will also meet US business leaders investing in the Philippines.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Trump agrees outline trade deal with EU's von der Leyen
The United States has struck a framework trade deal with the European Union, imposing a 15 per cent import tariff on most EU goods, but averting a spiralling battle between two allies which account for almost a third of global trade. The announcement came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen travelled for talks with US President Donald Trump at his golf course in western Scotland to push a hard-fought deal over the line. "I think this is the biggest deal ever made," Trump told reporters after an hour-long meeting with von der Leyen, who said the 15 per cent tariff applied "across the board". "We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world, and it's a big deal. It's a huge deal. It will bring stability. It will bring predictability," she said. The deal, which also includes $US600 billion ($A901 bn) of EU investments in the United States and $US750 bn ($A1.1 trillion) of EU purchases of US energy over Trump's second term, will indeed bring clarity for EU companies. Even so, the baseline tariff will be seen by many in Europe as a poor outcome compared with the initial European ambition of a zero-for-zero tariff deal, although it is better than the threatened 30 per cent rate. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the deal, saying in a statement that a trade conflict had been averted that would have hit Germany's export-driven economy and its large auto sector hard. But Bernd Lange, the German Social Democrat who chairs the trade committee of the European Parliament, said he was "quite critical" because the tariffs were imbalanced and the pledged investment would likely come at the expense of EU industry. The euro rose around 0.2 per cent against the dollar, sterling and yen within an hour of the deal being announced. The deal mirrors key parts of the framework agreement the United States clinched with Japan last week. "We are agreeing that the tariff ... for automobiles and everything else will be a straight-across tariff of 15 per cent," Trump said. That rate will not, however, apply to steel and aluminium, for which a 50 per cent tariff will remain in place, although von der Leyen said it would be cut and replaced with a quota system. Von der Leyen said the rate also applied to semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, and there would be no tariffs from either side on aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, certain generic drugs, semiconductor equipment, some agricultural products, natural resources and critical raw materials. "We will keep working to add more products to this list," she said, adding that the situation on spirits was still to be established. Trump, who is seeking to reorder the global economy and reduce decades-old US trade deficits, has so far reeled in agreements with Britain, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, although his administration has failed to deliver on a promise of "90 deals in 90 days." Arriving in Scotland, Trump said the EU wanted "to make a deal very badly" and said, as he met von der Leyen, that Europe had been "very unfair to the United States". His main bugbear is the US merchandise trade deficit with the EU, which in 2024 reached $US235 bn ($A353 bn), according to US Census Bureau data. The EU points to the US surplus in services, which it says partially redresses the balance. Trump also talked on Sunday about the "hundreds of billions of dollars" that tariffs were bringing in. The United States has struck a framework trade deal with the European Union, imposing a 15 per cent import tariff on most EU goods, but averting a spiralling battle between two allies which account for almost a third of global trade. The announcement came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen travelled for talks with US President Donald Trump at his golf course in western Scotland to push a hard-fought deal over the line. "I think this is the biggest deal ever made," Trump told reporters after an hour-long meeting with von der Leyen, who said the 15 per cent tariff applied "across the board". "We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world, and it's a big deal. It's a huge deal. It will bring stability. It will bring predictability," she said. The deal, which also includes $US600 billion ($A901 bn) of EU investments in the United States and $US750 bn ($A1.1 trillion) of EU purchases of US energy over Trump's second term, will indeed bring clarity for EU companies. Even so, the baseline tariff will be seen by many in Europe as a poor outcome compared with the initial European ambition of a zero-for-zero tariff deal, although it is better than the threatened 30 per cent rate. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the deal, saying in a statement that a trade conflict had been averted that would have hit Germany's export-driven economy and its large auto sector hard. But Bernd Lange, the German Social Democrat who chairs the trade committee of the European Parliament, said he was "quite critical" because the tariffs were imbalanced and the pledged investment would likely come at the expense of EU industry. The euro rose around 0.2 per cent against the dollar, sterling and yen within an hour of the deal being announced. The deal mirrors key parts of the framework agreement the United States clinched with Japan last week. "We are agreeing that the tariff ... for automobiles and everything else will be a straight-across tariff of 15 per cent," Trump said. That rate will not, however, apply to steel and aluminium, for which a 50 per cent tariff will remain in place, although von der Leyen said it would be cut and replaced with a quota system. Von der Leyen said the rate also applied to semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, and there would be no tariffs from either side on aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, certain generic drugs, semiconductor equipment, some agricultural products, natural resources and critical raw materials. "We will keep working to add more products to this list," she said, adding that the situation on spirits was still to be established. Trump, who is seeking to reorder the global economy and reduce decades-old US trade deficits, has so far reeled in agreements with Britain, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, although his administration has failed to deliver on a promise of "90 deals in 90 days." Arriving in Scotland, Trump said the EU wanted "to make a deal very badly" and said, as he met von der Leyen, that Europe had been "very unfair to the United States". His main bugbear is the US merchandise trade deficit with the EU, which in 2024 reached $US235 bn ($A353 bn), according to US Census Bureau data. The EU points to the US surplus in services, which it says partially redresses the balance. Trump also talked on Sunday about the "hundreds of billions of dollars" that tariffs were bringing in. The United States has struck a framework trade deal with the European Union, imposing a 15 per cent import tariff on most EU goods, but averting a spiralling battle between two allies which account for almost a third of global trade. The announcement came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen travelled for talks with US President Donald Trump at his golf course in western Scotland to push a hard-fought deal over the line. "I think this is the biggest deal ever made," Trump told reporters after an hour-long meeting with von der Leyen, who said the 15 per cent tariff applied "across the board". "We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world, and it's a big deal. It's a huge deal. It will bring stability. It will bring predictability," she said. The deal, which also includes $US600 billion ($A901 bn) of EU investments in the United States and $US750 bn ($A1.1 trillion) of EU purchases of US energy over Trump's second term, will indeed bring clarity for EU companies. Even so, the baseline tariff will be seen by many in Europe as a poor outcome compared with the initial European ambition of a zero-for-zero tariff deal, although it is better than the threatened 30 per cent rate. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the deal, saying in a statement that a trade conflict had been averted that would have hit Germany's export-driven economy and its large auto sector hard. But Bernd Lange, the German Social Democrat who chairs the trade committee of the European Parliament, said he was "quite critical" because the tariffs were imbalanced and the pledged investment would likely come at the expense of EU industry. The euro rose around 0.2 per cent against the dollar, sterling and yen within an hour of the deal being announced. The deal mirrors key parts of the framework agreement the United States clinched with Japan last week. "We are agreeing that the tariff ... for automobiles and everything else will be a straight-across tariff of 15 per cent," Trump said. That rate will not, however, apply to steel and aluminium, for which a 50 per cent tariff will remain in place, although von der Leyen said it would be cut and replaced with a quota system. Von der Leyen said the rate also applied to semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, and there would be no tariffs from either side on aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, certain generic drugs, semiconductor equipment, some agricultural products, natural resources and critical raw materials. "We will keep working to add more products to this list," she said, adding that the situation on spirits was still to be established. Trump, who is seeking to reorder the global economy and reduce decades-old US trade deficits, has so far reeled in agreements with Britain, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, although his administration has failed to deliver on a promise of "90 deals in 90 days." Arriving in Scotland, Trump said the EU wanted "to make a deal very badly" and said, as he met von der Leyen, that Europe had been "very unfair to the United States". His main bugbear is the US merchandise trade deficit with the EU, which in 2024 reached $US235 bn ($A353 bn), according to US Census Bureau data. The EU points to the US surplus in services, which it says partially redresses the balance. Trump also talked on Sunday about the "hundreds of billions of dollars" that tariffs were bringing in. The United States has struck a framework trade deal with the European Union, imposing a 15 per cent import tariff on most EU goods, but averting a spiralling battle between two allies which account for almost a third of global trade. The announcement came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen travelled for talks with US President Donald Trump at his golf course in western Scotland to push a hard-fought deal over the line. "I think this is the biggest deal ever made," Trump told reporters after an hour-long meeting with von der Leyen, who said the 15 per cent tariff applied "across the board". "We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world, and it's a big deal. It's a huge deal. It will bring stability. It will bring predictability," she said. The deal, which also includes $US600 billion ($A901 bn) of EU investments in the United States and $US750 bn ($A1.1 trillion) of EU purchases of US energy over Trump's second term, will indeed bring clarity for EU companies. Even so, the baseline tariff will be seen by many in Europe as a poor outcome compared with the initial European ambition of a zero-for-zero tariff deal, although it is better than the threatened 30 per cent rate. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the deal, saying in a statement that a trade conflict had been averted that would have hit Germany's export-driven economy and its large auto sector hard. But Bernd Lange, the German Social Democrat who chairs the trade committee of the European Parliament, said he was "quite critical" because the tariffs were imbalanced and the pledged investment would likely come at the expense of EU industry. The euro rose around 0.2 per cent against the dollar, sterling and yen within an hour of the deal being announced. The deal mirrors key parts of the framework agreement the United States clinched with Japan last week. "We are agreeing that the tariff ... for automobiles and everything else will be a straight-across tariff of 15 per cent," Trump said. That rate will not, however, apply to steel and aluminium, for which a 50 per cent tariff will remain in place, although von der Leyen said it would be cut and replaced with a quota system. Von der Leyen said the rate also applied to semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, and there would be no tariffs from either side on aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, certain generic drugs, semiconductor equipment, some agricultural products, natural resources and critical raw materials. "We will keep working to add more products to this list," she said, adding that the situation on spirits was still to be established. Trump, who is seeking to reorder the global economy and reduce decades-old US trade deficits, has so far reeled in agreements with Britain, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, although his administration has failed to deliver on a promise of "90 deals in 90 days." Arriving in Scotland, Trump said the EU wanted "to make a deal very badly" and said, as he met von der Leyen, that Europe had been "very unfair to the United States". His main bugbear is the US merchandise trade deficit with the EU, which in 2024 reached $US235 bn ($A353 bn), according to US Census Bureau data. The EU points to the US surplus in services, which it says partially redresses the balance. Trump also talked on Sunday about the "hundreds of billions of dollars" that tariffs were bringing in.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
S Korea overtures a 'great miscalculation': North Korea
North Korea has no interest in any policy or proposals for reconciliation from South Korea, the powerful sister of its leader Kim Jong-un says in the first response to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's peace overtures. Kim Yo Jong, who is a senior North Korean ruling party official and is believed to speak for the country's leader, said Lee's pledge of commitment to South Korea-US security alliance shows he is no different from his hostile predecessor. "If South Korea expects to reverse all the consequences of (its actions) with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation than that," Kim said in comments carried by official KCNA news agency. Lee, who took office on June 4 after winning a snap election called after the removal of hardline conservative Yoon Suk Yeol over a failed attempt at martial law, has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang that had reached the worst level in years. In one measure aimed at easing tensions, Lee suspended loudspeaker broadcasts blasting anti-North propaganda across the border and banned the flying of leaflets by activists that had angered Pyongyang. Kim, the North Korean official, said those moves are merely a reversal of ill-intentioned activities by South Korea that should never have been initiated in the first place. "In other words, it's not even something worth our assessment," she said. "We again make clear the official position that whatever policy is established in Seoul or proposal is made, we are not interested, and we will not be sitting down with South Korea and there is nothing to discuss." North Korea has no interest in any policy or proposals for reconciliation from South Korea, the powerful sister of its leader Kim Jong-un says in the first response to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's peace overtures. Kim Yo Jong, who is a senior North Korean ruling party official and is believed to speak for the country's leader, said Lee's pledge of commitment to South Korea-US security alliance shows he is no different from his hostile predecessor. "If South Korea expects to reverse all the consequences of (its actions) with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation than that," Kim said in comments carried by official KCNA news agency. Lee, who took office on June 4 after winning a snap election called after the removal of hardline conservative Yoon Suk Yeol over a failed attempt at martial law, has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang that had reached the worst level in years. In one measure aimed at easing tensions, Lee suspended loudspeaker broadcasts blasting anti-North propaganda across the border and banned the flying of leaflets by activists that had angered Pyongyang. Kim, the North Korean official, said those moves are merely a reversal of ill-intentioned activities by South Korea that should never have been initiated in the first place. "In other words, it's not even something worth our assessment," she said. "We again make clear the official position that whatever policy is established in Seoul or proposal is made, we are not interested, and we will not be sitting down with South Korea and there is nothing to discuss." North Korea has no interest in any policy or proposals for reconciliation from South Korea, the powerful sister of its leader Kim Jong-un says in the first response to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's peace overtures. Kim Yo Jong, who is a senior North Korean ruling party official and is believed to speak for the country's leader, said Lee's pledge of commitment to South Korea-US security alliance shows he is no different from his hostile predecessor. "If South Korea expects to reverse all the consequences of (its actions) with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation than that," Kim said in comments carried by official KCNA news agency. Lee, who took office on June 4 after winning a snap election called after the removal of hardline conservative Yoon Suk Yeol over a failed attempt at martial law, has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang that had reached the worst level in years. In one measure aimed at easing tensions, Lee suspended loudspeaker broadcasts blasting anti-North propaganda across the border and banned the flying of leaflets by activists that had angered Pyongyang. Kim, the North Korean official, said those moves are merely a reversal of ill-intentioned activities by South Korea that should never have been initiated in the first place. "In other words, it's not even something worth our assessment," she said. "We again make clear the official position that whatever policy is established in Seoul or proposal is made, we are not interested, and we will not be sitting down with South Korea and there is nothing to discuss." North Korea has no interest in any policy or proposals for reconciliation from South Korea, the powerful sister of its leader Kim Jong-un says in the first response to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's peace overtures. Kim Yo Jong, who is a senior North Korean ruling party official and is believed to speak for the country's leader, said Lee's pledge of commitment to South Korea-US security alliance shows he is no different from his hostile predecessor. "If South Korea expects to reverse all the consequences of (its actions) with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation than that," Kim said in comments carried by official KCNA news agency. Lee, who took office on June 4 after winning a snap election called after the removal of hardline conservative Yoon Suk Yeol over a failed attempt at martial law, has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang that had reached the worst level in years. In one measure aimed at easing tensions, Lee suspended loudspeaker broadcasts blasting anti-North propaganda across the border and banned the flying of leaflets by activists that had angered Pyongyang. Kim, the North Korean official, said those moves are merely a reversal of ill-intentioned activities by South Korea that should never have been initiated in the first place. "In other words, it's not even something worth our assessment," she said. "We again make clear the official position that whatever policy is established in Seoul or proposal is made, we are not interested, and we will not be sitting down with South Korea and there is nothing to discuss."
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Just do it': Abbie Chatfield sparks outrage with shocking call to American ‘incels'
Abbie Chatfield is under fire for a video heavily insinuating 'incels' should harm US President Donald Trump. The Sydney-based social media personality, 30, a prominent left-wing podcaster and influencer, shared the clip to TikTok where she referenced 'incels' and asked 'when are you going to do it?', without directly naming the President. Incel, short for 'involuntarily celibate', refers to an online subculture of young men who blame women for denying them sexual attention. A number of so-called incels have been involved in violent attacks, most notoriously Alek Minassian, 32, who killed 10 people and injured 16 when he drove a van into a crowd of pedestrians in Toronto, Canada, in 2018. Chatfield, who regularly posts videos railing against Mr Trump, did not directly name the President in her video, but hinted he should be harmed while making a gun symbol with her fingers. 'Americans, when are you going to do it?' she said. 'Why is it not already done? Every day, there's another [gun symbol] happening, right? Awful for your country, right? Awful, right? Why don't we redirect this energy to something else, you know? 'There's all these incels, 'no one wants to f**k me', so they go and do [gun symbol]. You know what would actually make people respect you a little bit, and maybe want to f**k you? Is if you did it. 'You'd get heaps of fan mail. Oh my God. Oh my God. Just do it. Like, you're all doing it every day anyway. Like, I don't f**king get it.' Chatfield's management has been contacted for comment. Chatfield, a former Bachelor star who now hosts the popular podcast It's A Lot, has more than 1.2 million followers on Instagram and TikTok. Social media users condemned the video, which comes as the US experiences a disturbing rise in politically motivated violence. 'This isn't free speech,' wrote X user Chris Mate. 'It's not activism. It's incitement — and at the very least, she should be detained and questioned by federal police.' Another user wrote, 'This is the person who Albanese promotes.' Chatfield interviewed Mr Albanese on her podcast in February in the lead-up to the election. The pair discussed a range of issues including political strategy and voter engagement, climate change, women's rights, Mr Albanese's upcoming wedding, the war in the Middle East and Mr Trump. Chatfield, a vocal Greens supporter, later came under fire from feminist activist Clementine Ford, who branded her a 'f**king fake' over her political views, particularly on Palestine. Mr Trump has already narrowly survived two assassination attempts. Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, shot then-candidate Trump in the ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 last year, killing crowd member Corey Comperatore, 50, and severely injuring two others. Crooks was immediately shot and killed by Secret Service snipers. Just nine weeks later, on September 15, Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, allegedly attempted to assassinate Mr Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The North Carolina construction worker was allegedly lying in wait with an AK-style rifle in the bushes by the golf course when he was spotted by a Secret Service agent, who opened fire and caused Mr Routh to flee the scene before being captured nearby. He has pleaded not guilty to five federal charges, including attempted assassination. His trial has been set for September 8. In addition to the attacks on Mr Trump, a number of other high-profile killings have recently shocked the US. Luigi Mangione, 27, accused of gunning down health insurance CEO Brian Thompson, 50, in New York in December, has attracted a large fanbase of largely left-wing, female supporters. Mr Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges including murder and will return to court in December. Last month, a Minnesota Democratic state representative and her husband were killed in their home in a 'politically motivated assassination', with another politician and his wife surviving being shot multiple times. Vance Boelter, 57, was captured after a massive manhunt. Mr Boelter plans to plead not guilty to murder charges, which could carry the death penalty.
