U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered an immediate halt to all trade activities with Spain, escalating the US Spain trade dispute during the NATO Summit. The announcement came as European leaders were hoping to ease tensions within the alliance, but Trump’s remarks instead triggered a fresh diplomatic disagreement.
According to British media reports, Trump criticized Spain during the NATO Summit in Ankara, calling it “a very bad ally” and accusing the country of refusing to cooperate on key issues. He said he no longer wanted the United States to conduct trade with Spain.
During the meeting, Trump instructed U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to implement the decision immediately. He reportedly said the U.S. should stop trading with Spain, claiming that Spain benefits financially at America’s expense and that it was time to change the situation.
Trump also renewed his call for U.S. control of Greenland, prompting a strong response from Denmark. Danish officials stated that they would defend every inch of their territory, adding another point of tension during the summit.
In response, the Spanish Prime Minister’s Office said it viewed Trump’s comments as routine political statements and had no intention of changing its strong relationship with Washington. The statement also noted that Spain runs a trade deficit with the United States, meaning it imports more American goods than it exports, and emphasized that the US Spain trade dispute cannot be resolved through unilateral action because Spain is part of the European Union’s common trade system.