Philippines expand “lattice” ties in the Indo-Pacific despite U.S. retreat from security commitments

On July 22, 2025, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. held talks with President Donald Trump during his official visit to the United States. As a result, the U.S. and the Philippines announced a “major deal” that reduces U.S. tariffs on Philippine goods from 20% to 19%. In return, Manila agreed to partially open its market to American automobiles but declined to grant the U.S. fully barrier-free access.

Despite the minimal nature of Washington’s concessions, the Philippines aims to use this agreement as a starting point for further negotiations toward a broader and more preferential trade deal, modeled on Japan’s. Notably, President Marcos Jr. became the first leader of an ASEAN member state to visit Washington since Donald Trump took office.

The motivations of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his U.S. visit differed significantly from the approaches of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia, which were simultaneously negotiating trade deals with Washington and also secured a tariff reduction to 19%.