BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump has apparently confused Spain for a member of the BRICS bloc of creating economies, inflicting some head-scratching and jitters over doable tariffs in Madrid.
Spain will not be in BRICS, whose initials stand for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Spain is a member of NATO, together with the U.S., and of the European Union.
Trump erroneously mentioned Spain was in BRICS when a journalist requested him about NATO international locations like Spain which don’t meet the NATO minimal of spending 2% of financial output on protection. Spain ranked final within the 32-nation navy alliance, estimated to spend 1.28% on protection final 12 months.
Trump began his reply by saying “Spain could be very low,” referring to its protection expenditures, however rapidly veered into talking concerning the BRICS.
“They’re a BRICS nation, Spain. Have you learnt what a BRICS nation is? You’ll determine it out,” he advised the reporter from the presidential desk within the Oval Workplace.
Trump repeated his menace to place expensive tariffs on BRICS, saying “we’re going to put no less than a 100% tariff on the enterprise they do with america,” a part of his financial plans that will overturn a long time of free commerce consensus.
Spanish Schooling Minister Pilar Alegría, who acts as a spokeswoman for the federal government, mentioned she wasn’t certain why Trump made the remark.
“I don’t know if the affirmation made by President Trump was the results of a mix-up or not, however I can affirm that Spain will not be in BRICS,” Alegría advised reporters Tuesday.
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Spain has been a dedicated member of NATO for the previous 4 a long time, she added, and the Spanish authorities considers the U.S. “a pure ally.”
Spain is one in all eight international locations that failed to fulfill NATO’s 2% spending goal final 12 months.
Trump mentioned he needs NATO members to achieve 5% spending on protection.