Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has expressed lukewarm support for a newly agreed trade deal between the European Union and the United States, saying on Monday he backed the agreement “without any enthusiasm.” The deal, reached on Sunday by US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, sets a baseline tariff of 15% on EU exports to the US—lower than the 30% Trump initially threatened but still notably higher than previous levels.
Speaking at a news conference, Sánchez acknowledged the efforts of the European Commission in securing the agreement but warned of its potential downsides. While Spain’s economy—less dependent on goods exports to the US—is expected to feel limited overall impact, he cautioned that specific sectors such as olive oil and wine exports could suffer significantly due to the new tariffs.
The Spanish Federation of Food and Beverage Industries, representing over 18,000 exporters, strongly criticized the agreement, stating it “puts an end to the balance of free trade.” While they conceded that a deal was preferable to a full-scale trade war, they rejected what they described as punitive measures targeting Spanish exports. According to the Bank of Spain, the United States is Spain’s sixth-largest goods export market, with a stronger emphasis on services in bilateral trade compared to other eurozone countries.
