(FILES) Shipping containers are stacked at the Port of Long Beach on March 4, 2025 in Long Beach, California. The US trade deficit surged to a new record in January, said the US Commerce Department on March 6, 2025, as imports spiked while tariff worries flared. The overall trade gap of the world’s biggest economy ballooned 34 percent to $131.4 billion, on the back of a 10 percent jump in imports for the month. This was the widest deficit for a month on record, dating back to 1992. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP)
MANILA, — Despite the new 12.5-percent tariff imposed by the United States, the Philippines remains in a stronger position than many of its regional competitors, with more than 60 percent of its exports exempt from the additional levy.
Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said the tariff, imposed by Washington on countries which it deems to lack safeguards against the importation of goods made through forced labor, would be “not at all” disruptive for Philippine exporters.
READ: US slaps Philippine exports with new 12.5% tariff
Article continues after this advertisement
