By Danial Azhar KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington this month, Manila's top diplomat said on Friday, with an increased trade tariff on one of Washington's top defence allies set to be discussed.

President Marcos and US President Donald Trump will have their first bilateral meeting in Washington “in a few days,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday. Rubio made the disclosure at the foreign ministers’ summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Kuala Lumpur that was also attended by his counterparts,

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met his Japanese and Philippine counterparts in a meeting Thursday on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ annual ministerial meetings in Malaysia. The U.S., Japan and the Philippines have been building a trilateral bloc to broaden security and economic cooperation.

The move by US President Donald Trump to impose a higher-than-expected tariff on the Philippines signals his unwavering determination to pressure Washington's trade partners to do their part in reducing the US deficit in tandem with its intensifying rivalry with China,

The Philippine government is viewing with concern the higher-than-expected 20-percent reciprocal tariff to be imposed by the United States starting next month, as announced by the Trump administration on Thursday.

Manila will seek fresh talks with the Trump administration over Washington’s newly imposed 20 percent tariff on Philippine exports – up from the

It shows that personal grudges rather than simple economics are a driving force in the U.S. leader’s use of tariffs.

In a letter to Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Trump declared a 50% tariff on all imports from Brazil, warning that any retaliatory tariff increases would be added to the initial 50%.