The United States is weighing new trade restrictions on Spain after the blocking of three American cargo ships at the port of Algeciras in November 2024, El Nacional reported. The Federal Maritime Commission proposal sets a fee of 200,000 dollars per voyage for Spanish flagged vessels and limits on imports of several Spanish products, among them oils and fats, ceramic and stone goods, cosmetics and perfumes, and sugar and confectionery. The commission found that Spain had created unfavourable shipping conditions for US flagged vessels, and said the 2024 episode hurt the efficiency and reliability of international maritime supply chains.
The three ships, operated by Maersk Line, were turned away on suspicion of carrying weapons for Israel, though the company said the transshipment cargo included no arms or ammunition, and some of the cargo was linked to the US Maritime Administration’s Maritime Security Program. The proposal now goes to public consultation before any decision, in a relationship already strained by President Trump’s repeated calls for economic reprisals against Spain over NATO defence spending and the war with Iran.