BARCELONA, Spain — President Donald Trump recently sparked confusion by inaccurately identifying Spain as a member of the BRICS nations, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This statement has led to some unease in Madrid regarding the potential for new tariffs.
Spain, in fact, is not part of the BRICS grouping, but is instead a member of both NATO and the European Union alongside the United States. During a discussion about NATO spending, a reporter prompted Trump to comment on countries like Spain, which fall short of the NATO guideline to allocate 2% of their economic output toward defense. Spain reportedly contributed only 1.28% in defense spending last year, making it the lowest contributor within the 32-nation military alliance.
While responding, Trump noted, “Spain is very low,” in terms of defense spending but soon shifted the conversation toward BRICS. He stated, “They’re a BRICS nation, Spain. Do you know what a BRICS nation is? You’ll figure it out,” from his position at the presidential desk in the Oval Office.
He also reiterated his threat to impose significant tariffs on the BRICS nations, saying, “we are going to put at least a 100% tariff on the business they do with the United States.” This stance forms part of his broader economic strategy that aims to dismantle long-established principles of free trade.
Spanish Education Minister Pilar Alegría, who serves as a spokesperson for the government, expressed her uncertainties regarding Trump’s assertions. “I don’t know if the affirmation made by President Trump was the result of a mix-up or not, but I can confirm that Spain is not in BRICS,” she remarked to reporters. She emphasized that Spain has been a dedicated member of NATO for over 40 years and views the United States as “a natural ally.”
It is worth mentioning that Spain is one of eight nations that did not meet NATO’s defense spending target of 2% last year. Trump has previously voiced his desire for NATO allies to raise their defense spending to 5%.
