U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed threats to cut all trade between the U.S. and Spain during the NATO summit, currently being held in Ankara, Türkiye.
During a press conference, Trump called Spain a “terrible partner” over its defense spending and refusal to allow the U.S. to use its airspace or military bases for its war in Iran.
“Spain is a wasted cause,” Trump said. “We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore, by the way. I’d like you to cut it off.”
Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reportedly denied any hostility occurred at the summit and told media he had a “very cordial” conversation with Trump.
"Relations between the United States and Spain are very positive relations in social, cultural, economic, and also political terms,” he said.
Sanchez also said he and Trump held an informal chat and there was no tension between them.
"On the contrary, everything was kind words and friendliness," he told media.
Trump made similar threats in March, but no formal announcement or mechanism to impact trade with Spain came forward.
What mechanism Trump might use to cut trade with Spain is also unclear.
As a member of the E.U., Spain is included in rules on trade negotiations that see the entire E.U. negotiate as a single bloc. European Parliament approved a trade framework agreed to by both the E.U. and U.S. in March, eliminating most tariffs on U.S. goods and giving preferential access to the market to a range of U.S. seafood products.
The deal included clauses acting as safeguards that would nullify the agreement if the U.S. does not comply with its own obligations, including halting the preferential access seafood receives.
By volume and value, Spain is the largest source of seafood for the U.S. in the E.U. In 2024, the country sent 28 million kilograms of seafood to the U.S. worth USD 322 million (EUR 281 million).
