<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The US Federal Maritime Commission has accused the Spanish government of prohibiting US-flagged vessels destined for or originating from Israel from entering its ports and is considering possible restrictions or fines for Spanish-flagged vessels.</strong></h4> According to the <a href="https://www.fmc.gov/articles/restrictive-port-practices-of-the-government-of-spain-update/">statement</a>, Spain is denying access “to certain vessels in its ports” and, more specifically, “directly prohibited the entry of at least three vessels in November 2024.” “The policy motivating these prohibitions remains in effect,” it adds. The ships were carrying cargo destined for or originating from Israel, and vessels denied access in the past include U.S.-flagged vessels operated under the U.S. Maritime Security Program, it continues. The entry ban is related to Spain’s stance on the Gaza conflict. These vetoes, according to Washington, create “unfavorable conditions for U.S. maritime shipping” in international trade, and therefore the United States could consider possible “cargo restrictions, denial of entry to vessels operating under the Spanish flag, or imposing fines up to the current inflation-adjusted limit of $2,304,629 per voyage on Spanish-flagged vessels”. In any case, the Federal Maritime Commission specified that “no final decision has yet been issued” pending a “careful evaluation of the evidence and all pertinent considerations.” The Spanish government has not yet reacted. Last October, U.S. President Donald Trump proposed Spain's expulsion from NATO for its refusal to increase defense spending to five percent, a path not provided for in the Alliance Treaty itself, which establishes voluntary withdrawal as the only procedure for such a move. The government of Pedro Sánchez reacted by reiterating that “Spain is a full and committed member of NATO” and calling for “utmost calm.” This was not the first time Trump had attacked the government of Pedro Sánchez for its refusal to increase military spending during the NATO Summit in The Hague last June. On that occasion, the US president even threatened Spain with making it pay “double” in tariffs, but Sánchez himself pointed out in his response that trade negotiations between Spain and third countries fall under the purview of the EU as a whole, given its status as a single market, and therefore, the United States cannot impose differentiated tariffs on one of its member states.
