Spanish Government affirms that Trump’s tariff truce is an “open door” to negotiation

Eduardo González/Ane Barcos The Spanish government welcomed this Thursday the decision by United States President Donald Trump to postpone the imposition of tariffs for 90 days and expressed its hope that it will be an "open door" to negotiation. "No one wins in a trade war, everyone loses," declared President of the Government Pedro Sánchez during his speech at the Spain-Vietnam Business Meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, the economic capital of Vietnam. "Therefore, the measure announced by the US administration, while we have yet to fully understand the nuances of the measure, appears to us to be a door to negotiation and, therefore, to an agreement between countries," he said. "In Spain, we have always defended the same position: a world with open doors, a world in which trade unites our people and makes them braver and more prosperous," he added. Similarly, the Minister of Economy, Trade, and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, declared that "this truce" constitutes "a platform open to negotiation." "This is what we have been asking for from Europe and also from Spain," he added. "It is a first step toward reaching an agreement, and in that sense, it is welcome," he stated at a press conference after holding a meeting with the Autonomous Communities, within the framework of the Interterritorial Council on Internationalization, to discuss the Trade Response and Relaunch Plan launched by the Government following the announcement of the tariffs. Von der Leyen For her part, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced this Thursday the suspension for 90 days of the countermeasures prepared by the European Union in response to the United States' trade policies, in line with Trump's decision to pause the imposition of tariffs on countries that have not retaliated against his trade policy for the same period. “We want to give negotiations a chance. While we finalize the adoption of the EU countermeasures, which were strongly supported by our Member States, we will suspend them for 90 days. If the negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will enter into force,” Von der Leyen stated. On Wednesday, EU member states approved the first package of countermeasures against US tariffs on steel and aluminum. However, their implementation is now on hold. The President of the European Commission emphasized that the US president's decision is “an important step towards stabilizing the global economy” and stressed that “clear and predictable conditions are essential for trade and supply chains to function efficiently.” She also reiterated that tariffs, ultimately, “are taxes that only harm businesses and consumers.” Trump explained that more than 75 countries have expressed their willingness to negotiate with Washington and that they “have not retaliated in any way against the United States,” which would justify this temporary pause. However, he also confirmed a drastic increase in tariffs on China, which now stand at 125 percent. During this 90-day period, countries that have not responded with countermeasures will face a provisional 10 percent tariff as an interim measure while negotiations continue. This decision, according to Trump, is intended to encourage dialogue without completely eliminating economic pressure. For his part, Olof Gill, the European Commission's trade spokesperson, explained in a daily press conference that the countermeasures approved by EU member states will be suspended for the next 90 days to facilitate negotiations with Washington. However, Gill stressed that “everything remains on the table” and that if negotiations do not progress satisfactorily, EU measures will be implemented without hesitation. "We are prepared for all scenarios," the spokesperson said.

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