‘Very close to a trade deal,' Trump says after meeting Philippine leader Marcos at White House
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the two countries were nearly finished negotiating a new agreement. 'We're very close to finishing a trade deal, big trade deal, actually,' Trump said.
Marcos responded by calling the United States the Philippines' 'strongest partner.' He added, 'This has evolved into as important a relationship as is possible to have.'
When asked how he would balance his country's ties with both the US and China, Marcos said, 'There is no need to balance because our foreign policy is an independent one.'
The meeting comes as the US shifts more of its economic and military focus to the Asia-Pacific region. Marcos is the first Southeast Asian leader to visit Trump during his second term. Before Tuesday's talks with Trump, Marcos also met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Marcos said he would propose a trade deal that is fair and beneficial to both countries. 'The Philippines is ready to negotiate a bilateral trade deal that will ensure strong, mutually beneficial and future-oriented collaborations,' he said on Sunday before leaving for Washington, according to his office.
Trump has threatened to impose 20 per cent tariffs on Philippine goods starting 1 August if a deal is not reached.
Philippine Finance Secretary Ralph Recto told local media that Manila may offer zero tariffs on some US goods to help finalise the agreement.
The White House said Trump and Marcos would also talk about their shared goal of maintaining a 'free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific,' AP noted.
At the Pentagon, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US remained committed to its mutual defence treaty with the Philippines. 'Our storied alliance has never been stronger or more essential than it is today,' he said. 'This pact extends to armed attacks on our armed forces, aircraft or public vessels, including our Coast Guard anywhere in the Pacific, including the South China Sea.'
Marcos said the treaty remains a central part of the relationship between the two countries. He also thanked the US for its support amid what he called 'threats' facing the Philippines. He said joint military exercises and US assistance in upgrading the Philippines' armed forces have expanded since Hegseth's visit to Manila in March.
China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all claim parts of the South China Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping routes. The Philippines has accused China's coast guard of using water cannons to block its boats.
In May, Hegseth told a security forum in Singapore that the US is focusing on 'deterring aggression by Communist China.'
On Monday, Marcos and Secretary of State Rubio also discussed supply chains and regional peace. Rubio recently met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of a regional forum in Malaysia. According to AP, both sides agreed to keep communication open and explore possible areas of cooperation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
22 minutes ago
- First Post
Post-Assad Syria to hold first parliamentary polls in September amid sectarian unrest
Syria will hold its first parliamentary elections since the fall of Bashar al-Assad between 15 and 20 September, according to officials. The polls, announced amid deadly sectarian violence in Sweida province, come as the country navigates a tense political transition under temporary President Ahmad al-Sharaa. read more In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, left, meets with Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, center, and Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, chairman of the Higher Committee for People's Assembly Elections, right, in Damascus, Syria. AP Syria will hold parliamentary elections in September, according to the president of the committee in charge of organising the election process, told state media on Sunday. Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, head of the Higher Committee for People's Assembly Elections, informed the state news agency SANA that polls will be held between September 15 and 20. They will be the first held by the country's new leaders following the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a swift rebel attack in December. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD One-third of the 210 seats will be appointed by temporary President Ahmad al-Sharaa, with the remainder to be elected. Another election committee member, Hassan al-Daghim, stated in a recent interview with the Erem News website that an electoral college will be established in every Syrian province to cast votes for the elected seats. In March, al-Sharaa signed a temporary constitution that called for the creation of a People's Committee to act as a makeshift parliament until the adoption of a permanent constitution and general elections are held, a process that may take years. The recent announcement of upcoming polls coincides with a growing rift in the nation's opinion of the new Damascus government following sectarian violence in the southern province of Sweida earlier this month. The fighting killed hundreds of people and threatened to unravel Syria's fragile postwar transition. The violent clashes, which broke out two weeks ago, were sparked by tit-for-tat kidnappings between armed Bedouin clans and fighters from the Druze religious minority. Syrian government forces intervened, ostensibly to end the fighting, but effectively sided with the clans. Some government fighters reportedly executed Druze civilians and burned and looted houses. Israel intervened, launching airstrikes on government forces and on the Defense Ministry headquarters. Israel said it was acting to defend the Druze minority.
Economic Times
22 minutes ago
- Economic Times
U.S. EU trade deal: Donald Trump slaps 15 per cent tariffs on European goods, auto. What is new in it? Is China next?
US-Europe Trade Deal US-EU Tariffs Live Events USA-China Trade Deal Nearing? FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel US President Donald Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen Sunday announced they had reached a deal to end a transatlantic tariffs standoff and avert a full-blown trade war. The agreement came as the clock ticked down on an August 1 deadline for the European Union to strike a deal with Washington -- or face an across-the-board US levy of 30 percent. Trump told reporters the deal involved a baseline levy of 15 percent on EU exports to the United States -- the same level secured by Japan -- including for the bloc's crucial auto sector, which is currently being taxed at 25 percent. Now all eyes are on the world's second largest economy - US President also said the bloc had agreed to purchase "$750 billion worth of energy" from the United States, as well as $600 billion more in additional investments in the country. Negotiating on behalf of the EU's 27 countries, von der Leyen's European Commission had been pushing hard to salvage a trading relationship worth an annual $1.9 trillion in goods and EU has been hit by multiple waves of tariffs since Trump reclaimed the White House. It is currently subject to a 25-percent levy on cars, 50 percent on steel and aluminium, and an across-the-board tariff of 10 percent, which Washington threatens to hike to 30 percent in a no-deal 15 percent would be much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods, which average around 4.8 percent, it would mirror the status quo, with companies currently facing an additional flat rate of 10 the talks failed, EU states had greenlit counter tariffs on $109 billion (93 billion euros) of US goods including aircraft and cars to take effect in stages from August 7. Brussels was also drawing up a list of US services to potentially has embarked on a campaign to reshape US trade with the world, and has vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive tariffs if they do not reach a pact with Washington by August 1. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had said Sunday the August 1 deadline was firm and there will be "no extensions, no more grace periods".U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday his administration was close to reaching a trade deal with China, but gave no other details. "We're very close to a deal with China. We really sort of made a deal with China, but we'll see how that goes," Trump told reporters at the start of a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland.A1. While 15 percent would be much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods, which average around 4.8 percent, it would mirror the status quo, with companies currently facing an additional flat rate of 10 percent.A2. US President Donald Trump also said the bloc had agreed to purchase "$750 billion worth of energy" from the United States, as well as $600 billion more in additional investments in the country.
NDTV
22 minutes ago
- NDTV
Video: Man Shouts "Going To Bomb The Plane" Mid-Air, Arrested In Scotland
A man has been arrested for causing a disturbance on an Easyjet flight from London Luton Airport to Glasgow. A video that has gone viral on social media shows the man shouting "I am going to bomb the plane". He was also heard saying "death to America, death to Trump" and Allahu Akbar (God is Great in Arabic)". A male passenger was then seen tackling him to the ground. Police boarded the aircraft after it landed in Glasgow and arrested the man. 'DEATH to Trump' and 'ALLAHU AKBAR' — man causes panic on flight Says he's going to 'BOMB the plane' SLAMMED to ground by passenger — RT (@RT_com) July 27, 2025 "Officers boarded the plane on its arrival and a 41-year-old man was arrested and remains in custody. Enquiries are continuing," the Scotland Police said. They also said that counter terrorism officers were assessing the videos circulating online. As per a report by the Glasgow Times, the airline said the "safety of the flight and other customers was not compromised at any time". US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is also in Scotland, where he announced that he has reached a deal with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen to end a transatlantic tariffs standoff and avert a full-blown trade war.
