Trump Threatens to Cut Trade Ties with Spain Amid NATO Dispute

Tensions escalated between U.S. President Donald Trump and the Spanish government on Wednesday as Trump sharply criticized Spain upon his arrival at the NATO summit in Ankara. Trump labeled Spain a "terrible partner" in NATO, accusing it of not participating or paying its dues, and announced he had instructed the U.S. Treasury Secretary to explore severing all trade relations with Spain. He stated, "Cut all trade with Spain, including visits. We want nothing from them. Watch how quickly they come back to us."

Trump also reiterated his dissatisfaction with NATO, citing disagreements over Greenland and a lack of support from some allies regarding U.S. actions toward Iran. In response, the Spanish Prime Minister's office sought to de-escalate the situation, affirming that Spain maintains excellent social, cultural, and economic ties with the United States and has no intention of altering these relations. They emphasized that economic relations are driven by private companies and benefit both countries in trade and security. The Spanish government also noted that the U.S. holds a trade surplus with Spain and highlighted that as an EU member, Spain's trade policy cannot be independently altered without EU involvement.

This is not the first time Trump has threatened economic measures against Spain. In March, he threatened to cut trade ties after Spain refused to allow U.S. use of the Rota and Morón bases in southern Spain for operations against Iran. At that time, Trump similarly accused Spain of insufficient NATO contributions, but the threats were not carried out.

Separately, Spain announced it will hold repeat elections on November 10 after failing to form a government, adding to the political drama amid the ongoing dispute with the U.S.