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Spain does not want a trade war but supports the EU’s reaction to Trump’s tariffs

by AI | 12.Mar 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The Minister of Industry argues that Europe must “fully” defend its interests from trade protection and from the development of a “proactive” industrial policy.

Spanish Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, during a dialogue under the slogan 'Committed to better tourism', at the Turespaña stand, on the occasion of the start of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR), at IFEMA, on January 22, 2025, in Madrid (Spain). Photo: Alejandro Martínez Vélez / Europa Press

Brussels – The Minister of Industry and Tourism of the Spanish Government, Jordi Hereu, defended on Wednesday that the EU has responded with reciprocal measures to the tariffs imposed this morning by the United States on imports of European steel and aluminum, considering that Europe must react and defend the sectors that will be affected by this decision.

“We are not in favor of a trade war between economic blocs because we all lose out, but Europe has to react and it has to defend the economic sectors that are affected by this decision,” Hereu said in statements to the media prior to his participation in the meeting of EU industry ministers, which is being held in Brussels.

The Spanish minister thus supported the EU’s reaction to a measure that Brussels considers “unjustified” and stressed that Europe must “fully” defend its interests from trade protection and from the development of a “proactive” industrial policy.

At the same time, the Minister of Industry advocated extending a hand to “constructive dialogue” to avoid the trade war. “Because we believe in multilateral relations and because we believe in international trade,” he remarked.

The minister also took this opportunity to recall the need for industrial transformation policy to be supported by European funds. “Now is the time to finalize industrial policies and in this we ask for more European funds to continue developing industrial transformation policy. That’s why we believe that from the 26th we must continue this joint European effort in favor of a better industry,” he maintained.

Furthermore, at a time when the EU is seeking to encourage investment in defense in the face of rapprochement between Washington and Moscow to end the conflict in Ukraine, Hereu has called for considering the rearmament strategy as an “industrial opportunity to boost Spanish innovation and technology” in security.

Hereu has come to Brussels to participate in the debate on the Pact for a Clean Industry, where he will defend the need for the EU to provide itself with new community financing instruments beyond 2026, in order to enable the transformation of the industrial sector and its decarbonization.

Additionally, Spain will propose establishing a financial instrument that guarantees the reserve of industrial capacities and European strategic autonomy, an idea already included in the new Industry and Strategic Autonomy Law, which is being processed in the Congress of Deputies. (March 12)