As part of the United States' sweeping “Liberation Day,” President Donald Trump unveiled a new global tariffs policy, which includes a 17% tariff imposed on Philippine goods exported to the U.S.
In a list of tables announced on his Truth Social account, these reciprocal tariffs will take effect on April 9 and are expected to impact the country’s economy, particularly electronics exports to America.
Despite the 17% reciprocal tariff imposed on the country by Trump, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque remained optimistic, saying the Philippines is still better off compared to other countries during an interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos.
“This goes to show na may edge pa rin tayo. Mababang-mababa tayo compared sa ating neighboring countries. This gives us a big edge for our products now to be cheap,” she said.
She believes this presents an advantage for the Philippines to export more products, such as semiconductors and electronics, and potentially attract more investors due to the new tariffs.
“Ang ineexport natin sa America ay semiconductors at electronics, ito talaga ay 53%. China ang kalaban natin sa electronics, tapos Taiwan. If you really look at it mas pabor rin sa atin kasi ang China 34%, Indonesia nag-eexport din 32%, South Korea 24% tapos tayo 17% big edge kasi mababa lang ang atin,” she added.
Roque emphasized that this is a good opportunity for the Philippine market compared to competitors from other countries, noting that the Philippines has the second-lowest tariff rate in Southeast Asia, next to Singapore’s 10%.
“Sa unang tingin, ang laki ng taripa [ng US sa Pilipinas] ng mga produkto ng pera kapag kinumpara sa ibang mga bansa, at saka yung mga neighboring country natin sa pag export tayo po ay second sa pinakamababa sa taripa,” she explained.
“Another edge when we can look at export is our coconuts. Thailand is our biggest competitor. Ang Thailand 37% ang kanilang tariff," she claimed.
DTI Sec. Roque assured Filipino businesses exporting goods not to worry, as the agency is continuously working on finding avenues to sell their products not only in the U.S. but also worldwide.
