THE Philippines will “continue to engage” with the United States, government officials said amid renewed uncertainty following a Supreme Court ruling striking down President Donald Trump’s global tariffs.
The US high court on Friday declared that tariff hikes imposed by Trump last year under an emergency powers act were unlawful, a decision that he heavily criticized and followed up with announcements that duties on all foreign imports would be raised to 10 percent and then revised to 15 percent on Saturday.
It was unclear when the 15-percent tariff would take effect. The 10-percent duty declared by Trump immediately after the court ruling was supposed to be enforced beginning Tuesday. The new rate will also only be effective for 150 days under the trade law invoked by Trump.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Friday also said that countries that had agreed to higher tariffs should honor the agreements even if the rates were higher. He said that exports from countries such as Malaysia and Cambodia would continue to be taxed at the negotiated 19 percent.
Indonesia’s chief negotiator for US tariffs, Airlangga Hartarto, also said that a trade deal that set the tariff at 19 percent, which was signed on Friday, remained in force despite the court decision.
Trump and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also agreed on a 19-percent duty last year. The rate, which was higher than the 17 percent that Trump had initially threatened, took effect in August.
‘We will continue to engage’
Sought for comment, Finance Secretary Frederick Go told The Manila Times on Sunday that “we will continue to engage with the USA as they are an important trading and investment partner.”
Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty echoed Go, also telling the Times on Sunday that “we are currently monitoring developments in the US. In the meantime, we will continue to engage with the US.”
Analysts, meanwhile, said that Philippine companies with exposure to the US could face renewed pressure in terms of both their operations and share prices.
“Reduced US tariffs could support faster global trade and investment in the long term, but exporters not exempt from the tariffs are likely to feel immediate effects, and market reactions could be volatile in the near term,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. senior economist Michael Ricafort said.
Investment & Capital Corp. of the Philippines President Manny Ocampo, meanwhile, said Trump’s emergency tariff response would keep “investors cautious.”
“Foreign funds may allocate more selectively, favoring domestically driven sectors such as banks, telcos and local consumption,” he added.
Electronics and manufacturing firms integrated into US supply chains, as well as ports, logistics and industrial or ecozone-focused properties are expected to be the most sensitive. Selected consumer and agricultural exporters with US exposure could also face margin pressures, the analysts said.
They added that the latest developments in Trump’s protectionist push had again highlighted the need for Philippine exporters to diversify markets and product lines to mitigate risks.
‘We’re elated’
The Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines (Fobap), meanwhile, on Saturday said that it welcomed the Supreme Court ruling, calling it a “huge relief” for US clients.
“We’re elated. This thing about the SC’s decision, we saw it coming. Last year, since President Trump imposed the tariffs, we know this is illegal,” Fobap President Robert Young said.
The Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) also said the court decision had lifted an unwelcome trade barrier, but added that negotiations during the 150-day window would be “crucial.”
“This ruling removes a major barrier that was unfairly penalizing Philippine craftsmanship and industry,” Philexport President Sergio Ortiz-Luis said in a statement on Saturday.
“For Philippine exporters, who faced an average ‘reciprocal’ levy of 19 percent throughout 2025, this ruling represents a significant victory for a rules-based trading system,” he added.
Ortiz-Luis, who reacted before Trump raised the tariff to 15 percent, said the global application of the 10-percent duty would preserve the Philippine’s competitiveness.
The temporary nature of the tariff — US lawmakers will have to approve its extension beyond 150 days — means that locally made products shipped abroad remained primed for growth, he said, but added that “Philexport views this window as a crucial time for bilateral negotiation.”
Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Perry Ferrer, meanwhile, said the Supreme Court ruling would not be the end of the US tariff issue.
“We do not expect this ruling will be the last ‘word’ or ruling related to the US tariffs. The US president is steadfast in ‘equalizing’ trade as he sees it,” he said in a Viber message.