Top economic managers indicated that a meeting with United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer went well.

Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Secretary Frederick Go hinted that another round of talks between the Philippines and the US is underway to finalize the tariff negotiations.

In a Palace briefing on Monday, Go said he and the rest of the “well-prepared” Philippine negotiating team led by Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina

Roque and Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez, were able to raise all points that trade stakeholders seek to clarify about the 17 percent reciprocal tariff.

“The good news was, I think, our discussions were very productive, and I believe that the meeting went extremely well,” he told reporters. Go did not cite the date for the second round of negotiations.

“What I can tell you is that the technical working groups, the Foreign Trade Office of the Department of Trade and Industry, are taking over from here, discussing with their counterparts at the US Trade Representative office to work out details of whatever discussions we had,” he said.

The 17 percent tariff imposed on the Philippines and other nations is halted for 90 days, based on US President Donald Trump’s order last month.

Go then urged reporters to secure updates from Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Allan Gepty, the country’s chief

negotiator of free trade pacts, who he said “will be continuing with the discussions with his counterparts at the USTR office.”

Talks to continue

“I don’t know if I will be going there again, but for the TWG, well, in this day and age, they can meet via Zoom, there is email, and telephone. But to answer your question directly, I guess, there will be future trips,” he said.

However, Gepty said he will update the media on when the meeting will take place. Go said aside from the 17 percent tariff, they also discussed with USTR Greer the Philippine coconut

industry, the country’s primary agricultural export to the United States.

“We also took up the matters that stakeholders of the garment, furniture and food processing industries raised. Also, the concerns of players in the automotive parts. We all brought those up, and as I said earlier, I believe it was very well received,” he said.

Go said he could not fully disclose their discussion with USTR Greer because “a confidentiality agreement covers all these trade negotiations.”

“I think we have to let the process take place. We have to let the technical working groups work on a discussion framework. I think both sides must work together to put a framework in place before the 90-day moratorium is over. So, we should allow the process to take its place before we can go further.”

Go explained, stressing that even some ASEAN nations that met with the USTR, namely Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, still don’t have a concrete conclusion on their tariff negotiations.