The Spanish Prime Minister's Office said Wednesday it regards President Trump's directive to halt trade with Spain as a routine matter and described bilateral relations as 'excellent', according to N12. The office noted that the same order was issued in March without effect and that trade is conducted by private companies, not governments.
The Spanish Prime Minister's Office, in its latest statement reported by N12 on Wednesday afternoon, described bilateral relations with the United States as 'excellent' and reiterated its view of President Trump's directive to halt trade with Spain as a routine matter. The office noted the same order was given in March without effect, and that trade is conducted by private companies, not governments. The statement comes after earlier reports from the NATO summit in Ankara, where Trump called Spain a 'terrible partner' (Kan, Wed 12:48 Jerusalem), and then said he instructed the Treasury to sever all commercial ties, accusing Spain of being a 'frightening partner' (Wed 12:48 Jerusalem). The Spanish government first downplayed the threat as 'business as usual' at 13:48 Jerusalem, and by 14:24 added the explicit 'excellent' qualifier — a shift the drafter noted was absent from earlier language.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Wednesday, the sequence of events unfolded rapidly. At the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump first told reporters he would not do business with Spain, calling them 'hopeless' and 'bad people' (Wed 12:48 Jerusalem). Minutes later, he cited Spain's failure to pay its NATO contributions as justification for cutting trade and mutual visits (Wed 12:48 Jerusalem). The Spanish government initially responded by calling the remarks routine and emphasizing the benefits of bilateral ties (Wed 12:48 Jerusalem), before the PM's office provided the more detailed assurance that the order had already been issued in March with no practical effect.
The US ambassador to NATO stated earlier this month that Trump was disappointed with Spain (N12, Jul 1), reflecting ongoing tensions with a key NATO ally over burden-sharing and policy disagreements. The Spanish government continues to frame the dispute as a diplomatic matter, not an economic crisis, insisting private sector trade remains unaffected.
It remains unclear whether the Trump administration will follow through on the directive to the Treasury, or whether it represents a rhetorical escalation at the summit rather than an operational order. The Spanish government's assertion that a similar March directive had no effect has not been independently verified.
5 developments
- StrongTrump renews trade halt threat against Spain; Madrid unfazed, notes March order had no effect
- DevelopingMeloni says Italy-US relations must return to normal track, downplays rift with Trump
- DevelopingTrump says ties with Netanyahu are 'excellent,' denies frustration
- StrongMarco Rubio says US relations with Oman 'fine', dismisses Hormuz toll system
Source and signal
- Internal intake