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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcos to push for unified ASEAN response to new US tariff schedule

Marcos to push for unified ASEAN response to new US tariff schedule

Published May 25, 2025 02:27 pm

At A Glance

  • The summit, held in Kuala Lumpur under Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship, adopts the theme "Inclusivity and Sustainability."
President Marcos will call for a unified regional response to the new tariff schedule recently imposed by the United States, as he left for Malaysia on Sunday, May 25, for the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (RTVM Screenshot)

In his departure speech, the President said he had already initiated informal consultations with fellow leaders, including Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, to discuss how ASEAN, despite its economic diversity, can collectively respond to the issue.

"This is something that we have to discuss, and it’s something we have to respond to," he said.

"We must find a way to find consensus amongst the disparate situations that the different member states are operating under," he added.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Deputy Assistant Secretary Dominic Xavier Imperial said ASEAN will not retaliate but will pursue "bilateral and multilateral engagement with the US” to address the trade imbalance.

"They (ASEAN leaders) are concerned, but at the same time, he region will not do a retaliatory measure," he said on May 22.

President Marcos is also supporting the non-retaliatory strategy under the ASEAN framework, while continuing bilateral discussions with Washington on trade.

The summit, held in Kuala Lumpur under Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship, adopts the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability.” President Marcos said the Philippines fully supports Malaysia’s vision of a united and people-centered regional bloc.

Code of Conduct in the South China Sea

Another priority for Marcos is pushing for progress in the long-delayed ASEAN-China Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.

“I will continue to champion our advocacies in promoting an open, inclusive, and rules-based international order,” he said.

According to the DFA, the President is expected to call on ASEAN and China to meet their target of completing the COC by 2026. The push comes amid rising tensions in the disputed waters, where the Philippines continues to assert its rights under international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral ruling.

AI ethics, regional peace, and maritime security

President Marcos is expected to reiterate the country’s commitment to crafting a common regional framework for ethical and responsible artificial intelligence (AI), aligned with ASEAN values.

He emphasized the need for ASEAN to be “future-ready,” capable of addressing threats that include climate change, economic instability, and digital disruption.

"Through these efforts, we aim to build a future-ready ASEAN that is not only competitive, but also people-centered and sustainable," he said.

High-level participation and key documents

Marcos is expected to join nine leaders' engagements and may hold bilateral meetings with leaders from Laos, Kuwait, and Vietnam.

ASEAN leaders are also expected to adopt or note 22 outcome documents, including the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN Vision 2045, and joint statements from the ASEAN-GCC and ASEAN-GCC-China summits.

Related Tags

President Marcos Bongbong Marcos ASEAN ASEAN Summit
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