{"id":52482,"date":"2026-07-09T10:03:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T10:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/52482\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T10:03:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T10:03:09","slug":"trump-targets-spain-over-nato-spending-as-trade-tensions-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/52482\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Targets Spain Over NATO Spending As Trade Tensions Rise"},"content":{"rendered":"

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered an immediate suspension of trade with NATO ally Spain, intensifying tensions over defence spending and the Iran war, despite European Union rules that require trade negotiations to be handled collectively by the bloc.<\/p>\n

Speaking at a NATO summit in Ankara<\/a>, where European leaders had hoped to ease divisions within the alliance, Trump renewed his criticism of Spain, calling it a \u201cterrible partner.\u201d He also repeated claims involving Greenland, though he later struck a more conciliatory tone, saying the summit had shown \u201clove\u201d and \u201ca lot of unity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez played down the rift and said he had a \u201cvery cordial\u201d conversation with Trump during the summit.<\/p>\n

It was the second time Trump has instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt commerce with Spain over its refusal to commit to NATO\u2019s new defence spending target of 5% of GDP. However, after his first such promise in March, trade between the two countries continued normally.<\/p>\n

Sanchez Says Spain Is A Reliable NATO Ally<\/p>\n

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his talks with Trump focused on topics including the World Cup and golf, but not defence spending. He defended Spain\u2019s record as a NATO ally, citing increased military spending and a new troop deployment to Finland for NATO\u2019s Arctic Sentry mission.<\/p>\n

Sanchez said U.S.-Spain economic ties remain strong and are driven largely by private companies, while EU rules prevent Washington from targeting individual member states in trade matters. Officials said there were no signs the U.S. planned to reduce its military presence at joint bases in Spain, where investment is increasing.<\/p>\n

Experts said imposing separate penalties on Spain would be difficult and would require a U.S. national security justification.<\/p>\n

Major U.S. Investors Enthusiastic About Spain<\/p>\n

Despite Trump\u2019s<\/a> trade threats, major U.S. investors remain bullish on Spain. BlackRock named Spain its \u201cpreferred country for equity exposure,\u201d citing strong economic growth, and holds \u20ac104 billion ($119 billion) in Spanish assets.<\/p>\n

However, overall U.S. investment in Spain fell by \u20ac1.9 billion in the first quarter. Spain exports olive oil, auto parts, steel, chemicals and wine to the U.S., though analysts say it is less dependent on American trade than many European economies. Wine exports also declined in 2025 amid a tougher U.S. market.<\/p>\n

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