The State seeks to strengthen trade ties with the US despite tariffs

MadridThe Spanish government does not want to lose its trade relations with the United States. Despite the entry into force of Donald Trump's new tariffs, the State seeks to maintain the presence of Spanish companies in the United States, as well as the link through imports, but above all through exports to the country. In this context, this Monday morning a meeting was held between the Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, along with the US Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, and the US Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, to address "issues of bilateral trade interest," as explained. The meeting was also attended by the Director of the Office of Economic Affairs of the President, Manuel de la Rocha.

The meeting took place in Madrid, the location chosen by the US and China to hold new meetings within the framework of their trade negotiations. In fact, the US and Chinese delegations were received this Sunday by the Spanish government.

Although trade negotiations with the United States have always been a priority for the European Union, especially during the height of the tariff war, Spain has sought to maintain bilateral meetings. The Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, met with Bessent last April. However, the Spanish government took the opportunity to emphasize the "importance" of trade relations between the United States and the European Union, which account for 30% of global trade in goods and services.

According to the same sources, the intention of Pedro Sánchez's government is to "strengthen" the existing trade ties between Spain and the US market, where the "strong competitiveness" of Spanish companies stands out. "The government will continue to support [the companies] in the current tariff context and reaffirms its commitment to the principles of cooperation and dialogue with allied countries like the US," indicate sources from the central government.

Spain has been one of the member states most critical of the trade agreement between Brussels and the US signed last July, which entails a general 15% tariff on European exports, in line with the agreement reached between the United States and Japan. However, the state's exposure, as well as that of Catalonia, in the North American market is small compared to other economies like Germany. Some of the most exposed products are olive oil and wine.