War in Iran, Trump threatens Spain: it is a powerhouse of cars and green energy

There are targets that can be hit because they are defenseless or irrelevant, but the Spain it is not among them. Interviewed by reporters at the White House, the US president staged a frontal attack against the Madrid government, guilty according to Donald Trump for having refused to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP like other NATO countries, as well as for having denied the use of the Rota and Moron bases for attacks on Iran. Trump went so far as to hypothesize a “absolute trade embargo” towards Spain, a measure that sees the Iberian country as incapable of doing without the economic contribution of the US market. Which it is not. And if German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, visiting the US capital, has already told Trump “that Spain is a member of the EU” and “there is no way to treat Spain particularly badly”, statements from Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez are expected on the morning of Wednesday 4 March in response to the threats coming from Washington. Trump has struck, perhaps unconsciously, what we discover has become one in recent years industrial locomotive of Europelike the energy sector And automotive demonstrate clearly. Washington against Madrid, these days, is like saying Goliath against a very well placed David.

Going the wrong way on the Atlantic

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The Ministry of Economy of the Iberian country is even scientific in reporting the effects of the duties already imposed on Spanish products sold in the USA. The exports they fell by 8% in the period between January and November 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with a loss of 1.3 billion euros in turnover. The impact is affecting three strategic sectors for Spain, namely olive oil, cars and consumer goods. There are 1,377 exporters who have given up on the American market, but the opposite does not happen at all. The imports of US products to Spain increased by 8% in the same period. As a direct consequence, the trade deficit that Spain maintains with the USA is rising dramatically, +35% in the first 11 months of 2025, going from 9.5 billion in 2024 to 12.8 billion. Madrid is not an obstacle or a rival for Washington, but just in case a valuable customer for which he should take much greater care than that shown by Trump’s words.

The ideal environment

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Spain today already is phenomenonsecond force in the automotive industry in Europe after Germany, with 2,274,026 units produced in 2025 and committed to achieving a further leap forward towards share with the Plan Auto 2030 plan 2.7 million vehiclesof which 95% are electric or plug-in hybrids. The news tells of the presence of European automotive groups such as Stellantis in the factories of Zaragoza, Madrid and Vigo, of Ford in Valencia, Renault in Seville and Valladolid, but also Mercedes in Santander and of course Volkswagen-Seat in the Barcelona and Navarra plants. But the news that perhaps clashes most of all with the criticisms directed at Spain by Donald Trump is precisely that the latter is managing to attract foreign investments offering a ideal environment for development. Slogans that are popular in the USA, but on the Iberian peninsula become reality. The strong interest of Chinese manufacturers is known Geely, Chery, Saic And Changan to set up production plants in Spain quickly. Among the most obvious reasons, as underlined by the study center on the European energy market Ember, the wholesale price ofelectricitywhich in the first half of 2025 was 32% lower than the European Union average. The rapid growth ofwind power and of solarwith public investments logically implemented, has reduced the use of gas and coal by 75% compared to 2019, making the country one of the cheaper electricity markets of Europe. “Spain doesn’t have great leadership,” Donald Trump said. The facts prove him wrong.