Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
July 20, 2025

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. arrived at the Joint Base Andrews to begin his Official Visit to Washington, D.C., United States of America (U.S.A.).

The President will hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, the first meeting by an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Head of State with the U.S. leader since his return to office in January this year, underscoring the strengthening relations between the Philippines and the United States.

“My visit to Washington, D.C., and most importantly, my meeting with President Trump, is essential to continuing to advance our national interests and strengthening our alliance,” emphasized President Marcos Jr. in his departure statement. He and the U.S. leader are expected to hold substantive discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of economic development and security.

His top priority during the visit includes enhancing trade and economic cooperation, especially in light of the recently imposed 20 percent U.S. tariff on Philippine exports. The Chief Executive intends to convey to President Trump and his Cabinet officials that the country is ready to negotiate a bilateral trade deal that will ensure strong, mutually beneficial and future-oriented collaborations that only the United States and the Philippines will be able to take advantage of.

“We will see how much progress we can make when it comes to the negotiations with the United States, concerning the changes that we would like to institute, so as to be able to alleviate the effects of a very severe tariff schedule,” he said.

President Marcos Jr. is also scheduled to meet with various business leaders to explore business opportunities that will further grow the country’s economy.

His visit to the United States comes at the formal invitation of President Trump and builds on the active exchanges the country has had since the assumption of the new leadership, including meetings between foreign affairs officials, visits to Manila by the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence, as well as the arrival of several bipartisan U.S. Congressional delegations.

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