The EU will respond appropriately' to Trump's tariff threat against Spain

"Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Spain if it fails to comply with the 5% of GDP defense spending agreed within the NATO framework has run into Brussels. The European Commission reiterated this Wednesdayonce againthat trade is its exclusive jurisdiction, and that an attack of this type against a member country is something to which the EU should respond as a bloc. And it will do so if necessary."

"We will respond appropriately, as we always do, to any measures taken against one or more of our Member States, a European Union spokesperson responded to a question about the U.S. president's renewed threats against Spain. The Belgian capital is hosting a meeting of NATO defense ministers this Wednesday to discuss, among other things, defense spending following the agreement reached in The Hague in June to increase it to 5% of GDP."

Donald Trump threatened tariffs on Spain over failure to meet a 5% of GDP defense spending target. The European Commission reiterated that trade falls under EU exclusive competence and said the Union would respond collectively and appropriately to measures taken against any Member State. Brussels noted an existing bilateral trade agreement with the United States as the platform for addressing trade disputes. NATO defense ministers met in Brussels to discuss defense spending and the Hague agreement to increase targets to 5% of GDP. Spain obtained a safeguard allowing it to meet targets with 2.1% spending that the government considers sufficient, and the EU declined to comment on the hypothetical Spanish case.

Read at english.elpais.com