U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a strong warning, threatening to sever all trade relations with Spain. This statement followed Spain’s decision to deny the United States access to its military bases for operations targeting Iran.
Speaking from the White House, Trump characterized Spain’s actions as “terrible.” He elaborated on his stance, suggesting, “we’re going to cut off all trade,” and stated emphatically, “We don’t want anything to do with Spain.” Reporters were privy to these remarks.
At present, it remains ambiguous whether Trump’s administration intends to enact this trade threat, and the practical mechanisms for blocking commerce with a member of the European Union are not yet clear.
These recent comments from Trump exacerbate pre-existing tensions between the two nations. These existing frictions include Spain’s opposition to Trump’s demand that NATO allies increase their defense expenditures.
“I could tomorrow – or today, even better – stop everything having to do with Spain, all business having to do with Spain,” Trump declared on Tuesday. He further asserted that both he and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent believe the U.S. possesses the legal authority to impose an embargo on goods imported from Spain.
However, when questioned by the president regarding his assessment of the proposed plan, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer offered a non-committal response. “We’re going to talk about it with you,” Greer stated. “You have the strong power that the Supreme Court clarified – we know you can use it. And if you need to use it to assure national and economic security, we’ll do it.” The White House did not immediately provide comment on the trade threat.
On the same Tuesday, Trump also voiced his dissatisfaction with the Spanish government’s refusal to raise its defense spending to 5% of its gross domestic product. This stance contrasts with that of many other European nations that have complied with the request.
Trump had previously indicated that Spain might face financial penalties.
The European Union’s policy of free movement of goods among its 27 member states would present significant complications for any attempt to impose trade restrictions on a single member country.
In 2025, U.S. exports to Spain reached approximately $26 billion, with imports from Spain totaling about $21 billion, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Key Spanish exports to the United States include pharmaceutical products and olive oil.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, currently one of Europe’s few left-leaning leaders, condemned the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on Sunday. He described the actions as an “unjustified, dangerous military intervention” that violated international law. In response, officials in Madrid confirmed they would prevent the U.S. from using military bases located in southern Spain as part of their operations, citing potential violations of the United Nations charter.
Trump also expressed criticism towards the United Kingdom, calling it “very uncooperative” with his efforts to utilize military bases for attacks. However, he did not issue an explicit threat of trade restrictions against that country.