A bitter transatlantic rift has deepened as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to sever all trade with Spain after the country denied American forces access to its military bases for operations against Iran.
Speaking at the White House, Trump branded Spain’s decision “terrible” and warned “We’re going to cut off all trade,” adding bluntly to reporters, “We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”
Whether the administration will pursue this remains uncertain, especially given the hurdles of targeting an EU member whose single market allows free flow of goods across 27 nations. The move builds on simmering disputes, including Spain’s resistance to Trump’s calls for NATO allies to boost defence spending to 5% of GDP, well above the 2% target that countries like Poland have met, while Spain hovers near 1.3%.
Trump intensified his rhetoric on Tuesday, declaring, “I could tomorrow – or today, even better – stop everything having to do with Spain, all business having to do with Spain.”
He and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued U.S. law supports such embargoes on imports for security reasons. However, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was more reserved when asked, replying, “We’re going to talk about it with you” and noting, “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 has not commented further.
Spain’s refusal stems from Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez labelling U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran an “unjustified, dangerous military intervention” breaching UN rules, prompting a block on bases like Rota and Morón.
Madrid insists any trade rethink must respect business autonomy, international law, and EU-U.S. pacts. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz echoed this solidarity post-Trump talks, stressing Spain’s inseparability from bloc deals.
Trade volumes underscore the stakes: 2025 data shows $26 billion in US exports to Spain (aircraft, machinery) against $21 billion imports (pharma, olive oil, wine), vital for regions like Andalucía. Trump also chided the UK as “very uncooperative” but spared it trade threats.
Spanish markets dipped amid the uproar, with diplomats eyeing NATO strains ahead.