Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri raised concerns over a newly announced trade arrangement between the Philippines and the United States, saying the country should have secured terms similar to Japan’s reciprocal tariff deal.
Zubiri called the agreement "highly unbalanced,” citing reports that the Philippines will impose zero tariffs on American imports, while Philippine exports to the US will continue to face a 19 percent tariff.
“If the United States truly sees us as a treaty ally, we should be accorded the same level of mutual respect in trade policy,” Zubiri said.
He pointed out that Japan, a fellow U.S. treaty ally, secured a 15 percent reciprocal tariff agreement, while even Indonesia—which has no military alliance with the U.S.—has managed to obtain more favorable trade terms.
“We have a similar trade arrangement with Indonesia, which is not even a treaty ally and does not host US forces or EDCA sites. The least we could have done was to negotiate terms on par with what Japan enjoys, a fellow US treaty ally,” Zubiri said.
The senator warned that the zero-tariff entry of American goods could flood the Philippine market with cheap imports, posing a serious threat to local producers, especially in the agriculture sector.
“Parang lugi tayo rito,” Zubiri said.
“Kapag bumaha sa bansa ng murang imported na karne, manok at mais mula sa Amerika, siguradong kawawa ang ating mga magsasaka. Baka tuluyan nang mamatay ang ating local agriculture sector (If cheap imported meat, chicken, and corn from the United States flood the country, our farmers will surely suffer. Our local agriculture sector could completely collapse),” he added.
Further, Zubiri cited current import figures, including 1.33 billion kilograms of meat and a projected 1.75 million metric tons of corn entering the country next year.
Under the zero-tariff setup, he lamented that local products will find it even harder to compete on price.
While he acknowledged that a one percent reduction in US tariffs on Philippine goods is a small step forward, Zubiri stressed the need for stronger negotiations moving ahead.
“Still, a one percent tariff reduction on Philippine imports does move the needle, even by a little, and this can be a launchpad to better deals in the future,” he said.
He then urged the government to pursue fairer deals not only with the U.S. but also with other potential trade partners such as the European Union and Canada, which have long expressed interest in forging a free trade agreement with the Philippines.
“While the general optics of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s trip to the United States seem promising, we also have to closely examine the substance of the visit, particularly the new trade arrangement announced between the two countries,” he said.
Zubiri also called for transparency on the full details of the trade agreement, saying the public deserves to know its exact provisions.
“I look forward to a full disclosure of the trade deal’s final provisions,” he said.
He continued. “If the administration believes this is the best path forward, I trust that they can justify how it will serve the long-term interests of Filipino producers and secure fairer trade terms for the country.”