U.S. slaps new 17% tariff on Philippines; DTI assures country in ‘advantageous’ position

April 3, 2025 , 05:21 PM

By Clarist Mae Zablan

(April 3, 2025) – The Philippines was not spared by the United States’ imposition of tariffs to all of its trade partners, but the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Thursday gave assurance that the move opens an opportunity to boost trade ties between the two countries.

Kabilang ang Pilipinas sa dose-dosenang bansa na pinatawan ng mahigit 10% na taripa ng United States, bagay na ayon kay U.S. Pres. Donald Trump ay pagtugon ng Amerika sa taripa at non-tariff barriers na ipinapataw sa kanila ng ibang bansa. #News5 pic.twitter.com/U55wFMOqeB
— News5 (@News5PH) April 3, 2025

The global trade war intensified as U.S. Pres. Donald Trump announced a 10% baseline reciprocal tariff on all of the country’s trade partners, with higher tariffs on dozens of specific countries. This includes the Philippines, which will be slapped with a 17% tariff.

Trade Sec. Cristina Roque noted that the Philippines, as they expected, is among the least affected among the key exporters to the U.S.

“We view with guarded optimism that the recent US imposition of reciprocal tariffs will provide strategic opportunities for the Philippines to improve its economic relationship with the US,” Roque said in a statement.

“The new tariffs also put [the] Philippines in a more advantageous position more specifically for certain export products like coconuts… The task at hand right now for DTI and other government agencies is how to act fast and take advantage of this new development.”

The 10% baseline tariff will be effective starting April 5, while the higher tariffs will be imposed starting April 9, Reuters reported. Trump said that the move was in response to tariffs and other trade barriers imposed by other countries to the U.S.

Roque noted that not all products exported to the U.S. will be affected, as there are products exempted such as copper ores and integrated circuits.

For agriculture-based products, she said the government is studying its effects on the sector as food exports are not covered by the exemptions.

The U.S. is the Philippines’ top export market, comprising about $12.14 billion (P693 billion) or 16.6% of the Philippines’s total exports in 2024, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

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