The Club of Spanish Exporters and Investors has called this Monday to act with prudence and prioritize dialogue over the initiative of the Federal Maritime Commission of the United States (FMC), which proposes setting a fee of 200,000 dollars (about 178,165 euros) for each stop for ships sailing under the Spanish flag. The entity advocates resorting to commercial diplomacy as the main way to channel the discrepancies.
According to the club itself in a statement, the U.S. proposal also includes limitations on the entry into its territory of five major groups of products: oils and fats, perfumery and cosmetics, ceramics, stone manufactures, and sugar and confectionery.
In 2025, these items represented Spanish exports to the United States amounting to a total of 2.758 billion euros, which accounts for 16% of Spanish sales directed to that country and approximately 0.7% of total national exports.
Although its relevance in the total of Spanish foreign sales is relatively small, the Club of Exporters warns that the impact on the affected companies could be significant, especially in sectors such as olive oil.
The organization also emphasizes that any reaction must be articulated in a coordinated manner with the European Union, given that trade policy exclusively corresponds to the community institutions.
The Club of Exporters highlights that the FMC has opened a public consultation of 60 days, with a deadline until December 14, and that the agency considers the option of applying more limited measures or even withdrawing them if a negotiated solution is reached.
In this context, it encourages companies and associations in the concerned sectors to participate in the consultation process and to send information and data that help assess the economic impact of the proposed measures.
It also urges the Government to take advantage of the hearing offered by the FMC and the available diplomatic channels, in coordination with the European Commission, in order to resolve the discrepancy before the measures are implemented.