U.S. Administration Orders Halt to Trade With Spain

The U.S. administration directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt trade with Spain during a July 8 meeting at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. "Spain is a wasted cause. We don't want to do any trade with Spain anymore, by the way," the administration said.

"I'd like you to cut it off. Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don't participate. " The administration linked the directive to Spain's defense spending level and its position on U.S. military operations related to Iran. Officials stated they had contacted leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy regarding the matter but had not contacted Spain.

NATO maintains a 5 percent defense spending target by 2035. Spain has been a NATO member since 1982. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that Spain reached the 2 percent defense spending target last year.

The United States imported $35.3 billion in goods from Spain in 2025 and exported $39.2 billion to Spain that year. A Spanish government source stated the country maintains "a magnificent social, cultural, and economic relationship with the U.S.A" and does not intend for it to change.

The European Union's side of a trade agreement with the United States took effect on July 1. The bloc negotiates trade as a single unit. Implementation of the order remains unclear, as any restrictions would require the president to declare a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

A similar trade embargo was threatened in 2025.