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Could US tariffs imperil the Philippines’ plan to buy F-16 fighter jets?
The $7.2 billion programme is a massive component of the country’s defence modernisation plans.
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The Philippines’ F-16 deal is critical to replacing the country’s ageing military assets, says the writer.
PHOTO: AFP
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez sounded the alarm in April: The country’s US$5.58 billion (S$7.2 billion) deal to buy 20 F-16 fighter jets from Washington – a linchpin of Manila’s military modernisation – could be imperilled by President Donald Trump’s proposed 17 per cent tariff on Philippine exports and its resulting impact on government coffers.
After all, the US is the Philippines’ third-largest trading partner and top export market.
