The Philippines will continue working closely with the United States (US) to sustain strong ties after its Supreme Court (SC) struck down President Donald Trump’s global tariffs, Malacañang said on Saturday.
In a statement, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro noted that most Philippine exports to the US already enjoyed zero tariffs even before the ruling on Trump’s trade agenda.
Castro was referring to over P1 billion worth of Philippine exports to the US that were spared from the 19-percent headline tariff under exemptions for certain goods, mainly agricultural products, in an executive order issued by Trump in November 2025.
“[Finance] Secretary [Frederick] Go had previously explained that majority of our exports were already exempted even before this US SC decision,” she said.
“We will continue to engage with the USA as it is an important trade and investment partner,” Castro added.
In a 6-3 ruling, the US SC declared Trump’s global tariffs illegal, saying he exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The court stressed that the US Constitution grants Congress—not the president—the power to levy taxes and import duties.
Trump had invoked the 1977 IEEPA to impose tariffs on nearly all US trading partners, citing a national emergency over the trade deficit.
PIXABAY PHOTO