Trump Orders Halt To U.S. Trade With Spain

United States President Donald Trump has ordered an immediate halt to all trade with Spain, accusing the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ally of failing to meet the alliance’s defence spending targets.

Trump made the announcement on Wednesday alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, ahead of the alliance’s summit in Ankara, Turkiye.

He directed U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off all trade with Spain, describing the country as “a terrible partner in NATO.”

“Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits,” Trump said.

Trump said Spain neither participated in nor paid its share towards the alliance’s obligations, and instructed that trade with the country be halted immediately.

The dispute centres on Spain’s refusal to commit to raising its defence spending to five per cent of gross domestic product by 2035, a target set by Trump for NATO members.

Spain has argued it can meet its obligations at about two per cent of GDP.

Trump has also expressed frustration that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez refused to grant the United States use of Spanish airspace or military bases during the Iran war, despite Washington jointly operating two military bases in southern Spain.

Sanchez’s office said it was treating Trump’s remarks as business as usual and did not intend to alter its relationship with Washington.

It noted that Spain runs a trade deficit with the United States, that economic ties are driven by private companies rather than governments, and that individual European Union member states cannot be singled out for trade measures under the bloc’s customs union rules.

This is the second time Trump has instructed Bessent to halt trade with Spain over the dispute.

A similar order in March did not result in any actual disruption to trade between the two countries.