Felipe VI: “Spain maintains its commitment to free trade and international cooperation in an uncertain environment”

The Diplomat King Felipe VI assured major international investors that, “despite an increasingly unstable and uncertain environment, Spain continues to stand firmly by a strong commitment to free trade and international cooperation” and is “one of the most open countries in the world to international investment.” The Monarch made these remarks on Wednesday, January 14, during the inauguration of the 16th edition of Spain Investors Day (SID), which brings together key players in the Spanish economy in Madrid, including members of the Government, regulatory bodies, large companies, and international investors. According to its organizers, the event is being held “in a complex geopolitical scenario” marked by the tariff policies of US President Donald Trump and the situations in Ukraine, Gaza, and Venezuela. “Developing and implementing an investment project in a specific location is a long-term process, often taking several years from planning to execution,” and in which “companies carefully consider a wide range of structural factors that they expect to remain consistent over the long term,” the King stated. “That is why, despite an increasingly unstable and uncertain environment, Spain continues to stand firmly by a strong commitment to free trade and international cooperation, viewing openness not as a vulnerability, but as a strategic asset,” he continued. “In this challenging international context, I would like to reaffirm here today that Spain remains one of the most open countries in the world to international trade and investment,” he insisted. “Our country is firmly anchored in the EU, fully committed to the single market, legal certainty and a stable framework it provides,” he affirmed. “Our European convictions go hand in hand with multilateralism and cooperation as guiding principles of our international relations,” he added. “From a business perspective,” he emphasized, Spain is “among the leading recipients of foreign direct investment worldwide.” “In addition, our country is achieving record levels of exports —the highest ever in our history,” which “reflects the international competitiveness of Spanish companies,” many of which “are leaders in their respective markets and sectors,” he added. The forum will be held on January 14 and 15 in Madrid and will include, on behalf of the Government, the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares; the Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo; the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles; the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu; the Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Administration, Óscar López; and the Minister of Health, Mónica García. At the same event, the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, stated that “Spain is leading the way in growth within the European Union and among developed economies, with economic data that have never been so satisfactory.” “GDP has grown by 1.9% year-on-year, and 2025 has marked the fifth consecutive year of solid growth since the pandemic,” he continued. “Spain has managed to reduce inflation without sacrificing economic growth, keeping the risk premium around 40 basis points,” he emphasized. For his part, the Vice-President of the European Central Bank, Luis de Guindos, warned that “the global economy, especially the euro area, is going through a period of profound transformation and high uncertainty, marked by geopolitical tensions and changes in the rules of international trade.” He stressed that, despite this complex environment, “inflation in the euro area is at levels compatible with the 2% target, and economic activity has shown remarkable resilience, supported by the strength of the labor market and domestic demand.”

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