US President Donald Trump recently caused confusion by mistakenly referring to Spain as a member of BRICS. His comment sparked some bewilderment and concerns over potential tariff implications for Spain.
The confusion arose when a journalist asked Trump about NATO countries, like Spain, that do not meet the alliance’s defence spending target of 2% of GDP. Spain ranked last among NATO members, with an estimated defence expenditure of just 1.28% last year. Trump initially began his response by referencing Spain’s low defence spending but quickly shifted to discussing BRICS.
“They’re a BRICS nation, Spain. Do you know what a BRICS nation is? You’ll figure it out,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
Trump also reiterated his threat to impose hefty tariffs on BRICS nations, stating, “We are going to put at least a 100% tariff on the business they do with the United States,” as part of his broader economic plans to challenge decades of free trade agreements.
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