According to Politico, Spanish companies are concerned that political conflicts between Spain and Donald Trump may escalate into economic confrontation and lead to trade restrictions due to Madrid's opposition to the U.S. war against Iran.
Ander Caballero, Secretary of Foreign Action of the Spanish Government, said: "About 8% of our exports are directly sold to the United States... any decisions involving the energy, automotive or steel industries have raised serious concerns."
Although the United States accounts for less than 5% of Spain's total exports, Spain largely depends on U.S. energy resources. According to industry statistics, over 15% of the oil imported by Spain last year came from the United States, and in January, the import volume of U.S. liquefied natural gas reached a record high, accounting for 44% of its total imports.
In this context, the local government and industry representatives of the Basque region have held an emergency meeting to develop measures to deal with potential trade restrictions.
On March 1st, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the military actions of the United States and Israel against Iran, calling for an end to the cycle of violence in the Middle East. After that, U.S. Air Force planes evacuated the Rota and Morón military bases in southern Spain after being prohibited from using their military bases on Spanish territory to strike targets inside Iran.
On March 3rd, after Madrid prohibited the use of its jointly operated domestic military bases, Trump threatened to terminate trade with Spain.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859079802537996/
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