Spain Downplays Trump Trade Threat as ‘Business as Usual’

The Spanish prime minister’s office has downplayed US President Donald Trump’s order to halt all trade with Spain, saying Madrid is treating the threat as “business as usual.”

In an official statement, the office stressed that Spain maintains strong ties with the United States across several areas, including social, cultural and economic relations.

“Our country enjoys excellent social, cultural, and economic relations with the US, and it is not our intention for that to change,” the statement said.

The response followed remarks made by Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye, where he told reporters that he had ordered US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to immediately cut off all trade and commercial ties with Spain.

Trump sharply criticised Spain’s role in NATO, describing the country as a “terrible partner” in the alliance.

“We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain any more; Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don’t participate, they don’t pay,” Trump said.

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