Arthur Fuentes

A fishing raft with a resting shed floats on the shores of Baseco in Tondo Manila on July 09, 2021. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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Manila container port

<div> </div>MANILA (UPDATED) — The Philippines&#x27; domestic agricultural and manufacturing sectors are not included in the trade concessions recently given to the United States, the Department of Trade and Industry and Malacañang&#x27;s &#x27;economic czar&#x27; said on Thursday.In a joint statement, DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, and Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Secretary Frederick Go, defended the trade deal struck by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with US President Donald Trump over &#x27;reciprocal tariffs&#x27;.Under the deal, some imports from the US, such as automobiles, will have zero tariff, while Philippine exports to the US will be slapped with a 19 percent tariff rate, down from 20 percent before the deal.Go said the concessions the country will extend to the US &quot;are strategic to the Philippines.&quot;&quot;These are products that we do not locally produce and are critical inputs to reducing the cost of healthcare, for example,” Go said.Roque added that the Philippines will continue to protect major domestic agricultural and manufacturing industries.&quot;They are not included in our concessions,” Roque said.Go said tariffs on imported rice, sugar, corn, fisheries, pork, chicken, among others, will not be removed. But under the deal, the Philippines will import more soy products, wheat products and medicines from the US. Go said this will result in cheaper prices for these products. “Iyong mga pinapapasok natin na walang taripa, ang purpose po noon ay ibaba ang presyo ng bilihin sa Pilipinas, so kapag nagpasok tayo ng gamot, for example nawala ang taripa, mumura ang gamot; kapag nagpasok tayo ng feeds dito na mura, eh di mumura rin ang presyo ng baboy, presyo ng manok, presyo ng isda,” Go said during a Palace briefing.He also pointed out that the tariff rate is not a result of a bilateral deal but “unilaterally” imposed by the US on other nations. The Palace official further argued that the Philippines has the second lowest imposed tariff among Southeast Asian countries next to Singapore, which has a 10 percent rate. Go added that the Philippine deal was better than the deals negotiated by Vietnam and Indonesia, which allowed “full market access”.  Roque meanwhile said the details of the trade deal are not yet final.&quot;The Philippines and the United States will still have to negotiate the details of the agreement including products that are covered by market access commitments on both sides,” Roque said.“Parang kontrata po ito eh, marami pang detalyeng kailangan nating ayusin. At siyempre pinaglalaban din natin iyong mga ibang sectors natin dito sa Pilipinas that are exporting to America. Siyempre, hihingi tayo na sana mapagbigyan niya ng pabor ang mga export industries natin,” Go said.The Federation of Philippine Industries meanwhile, said it welcomes the government&#x27;s statement that the new trade deal will protect local sectors.&quot;We appreciate their clear stand—our key local agricultural and manufacturing sectors are not part of the tariff concessions.FPI also welcomed Go and Roque&#x27;s statement that imports getting zero-tariff treatment are mostly critical materials that are not made locally, like inputs for healthcare.&quot;If handled right, this could help certain sectors lower costs without putting local producers at risk,&quot; FPI said.Several lawmakers criticized the new trade deal as disadvantageous to the Philippines.The US is the Philippines&#x27; biggest export market. In 2024, the Philippines exported $12.14 billion to the US, making up 16.6 percent of the country’s total exports that year, according to the <a href="https://psa.gov.ph/content/international-merchandise-trade-statistics-philippines-2024" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Philippine Statistics Authority</a>.In terms of imports, however, the US was just the fifth largest source of goods imported into the Philippines, at $8.17 billion dollars, far below the $32 billion worth of goods that the country imported from China in 2024.  <div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/shorts?/JyMyC9gHkFc&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>

The Philippines' agricultural and manufacturing sectors are not included in the trade concessions recently given to the US, Philippine officials said.

The Philippines' agricultural and manufacturing sectors are not included in the trade concessions recently given to the US, Philippine officials said.

PH agri, manufacturing sectors excluded from tariff concessions to US: Govt

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PH agri, manufacturing sectors excluded from tariff concessions to US: Govt

Arthur Fuentes,

Herlene Delgago,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 24, 2025 03:52 PM PHT

|

Updated July 24, 2025 07:03 PM PHT

Read More:

ABSNews

US

reciprocal tariffs

19% tariff

US Philippine trade

Frederick Go

DTI

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