Deputy U.S., Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish met on May 2.3 with senior Philippine officials in Manilla to continue talks on bilateral trade issues, USTR said in a statement. The meeting with economic ministers and others "follows up on the November 2017 meeting between President Trump and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, during which the United States welcomed Philippine interest in deepening the bilateral trade relationship through consideration of a potential free trade agreement," USTR said. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in March told lawmakers that the Philippines would be a "reasonable" initial target for a free trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region. He said Gerrish would be tasked with studying which countries in the region would be suitable for trade deals.
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