Trump says Spain will pay more for a trade deal after refusal to meet Nato defence spending targets
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US President Donald Trump (left), with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, delivering a press conference during the Nato summit, on June 25.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
- Trump threatens Spain with increased trade costs due to their failure to meet Nato's defence spending target of 5% GDP.
- As an EU member, Spain does not negotiate trade deals directly with the US, making Trump's threat difficult to enforce.
- Trump aims to penalise Spain through a trade agreement, despite the European Commission handling EU trade talks.
AI generated
THE HAGUE - President Donald Trump said on June 25 that the United States will make Spain pay twice as much for a trade deal, after the country’s refusal to meet a Nato defence spending target of 5 per cent of gross domestic product.
Nato leaders backed a big increase in defence spending on June 25 that Mr Trump had demanded, but Spain declared that it does not need to meet the goal
Mr Trump called Spain’s decision “very terrible” and vowed to force the country to make up the difference.
“We’re negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We’re going to make them pay twice as much,” he said.
As a member of the European Union, Spain does not negotiate directly with the US on trade – the European Commission handles those talks for the entire 27-nation bloc.
Mr Trump may have a hard time following through on his threat to punish Spain through a trade pact unless he gets language on the issue into a broader EU agreement.
“Europe also has tools to defend itself if no deal is reached,” Spain’s Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said later in Paris. REUTERS
