The European Commission is examining the trade measures proposed by the United States against Spain, which include imposing a fee of $200,000 per voyage on Spanish-flagged vessels operating at US ports and possible restrictions on the import of certain products. The initiative follows an investigation by the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) into access conditions at Spanish ports, which began after several US vessels were denied calls at the Port of Algeciras in November 2024.
A European Commission spokesperson has confirmed that Brussels is carefully reviewing the US announcement and is in contact with the Spanish authorities to assess its possible implications. The EU institution has expressed its commitment to defending the interests of the European Union and its member states through appropriate measures.
The proposal was announced on Wednesday, October 14, by the FMC, the federal agency responsible for overseeing and regulating US international maritime transport. The agency considers that certain decisions taken by Spain have created unfavorable conditions for US-flagged vessels and affected their participation in international maritime trade.
Launched in December 2024, the investigation focuses on access restrictions imposed on US vessels associated with the Maritime Security Program (MSP), a US Maritime Administration (MARAD) program that ensures the availability of merchant vessels to meet certain commercial and national security needs.
The case file published by the FMC explicitly identifies the Port of Algeciras as the intended destination of the Maersk Denver and Maersk Seletar, operated by Maersk Line Limited under the US flag. Both vessels were scheduled to call in November 2024, but changed their destination while crossing the Atlantic and ultimately docked at Tanger Med, Morocco.
US documentation also records the case of the Maersk Hartford, another vessel participating in the MSP that was scheduled to call at a Spanish port that month and likewise changed its route to Morocco.
The restrictions were related to the transport of certain goods linked to Israel. According to the FMC case file, Spain justified its actions by citing the application of national, European, and international provisions concerning the transit of defense products and dual-use materials.
Spain's position during the investigation was that the decisions were made without discrimination based on the vessels' flag or port of origin and that the restrictions applied to certain containers. The FMC, for its part, considers that the documents reviewed show that access to the port was restricted for the vessels themselves.
The US report also includes information on how Maersk Line Limited's port calls in Spain have changed since those events. According to maritime tracking data used by the agency, the company's US-flagged vessels made an average of 7.25 calls per month in Spain before November 2024.
The FMC states that, since July 2025, calls by this fleet at the Port of Algeciras have virtually disappeared, while the vessels' operations at Tanger Med have increased to an average of 4.17 calls per month.
The US agency attributes this change in routes to the port restrictions under investigation and maintains that some of the calls previously made at Algeciras have been replaced by operations at the Moroccan port.
The document also distinguishes Maersk Line Limited's operations, whose vessels are registered under the US flag and participate in the MSP, from the wider operations of the Maersk group. The FMC notes that other vessels operated by the shipping company continue to use Spanish ports and reports that the company continues to include Algeciras among its operational priorities.
The US investigation finds that the access restrictions affect the ability of vessels participating in the MSP to transport goods to or from Spain and compete with other vessels operating in international maritime trade.
Based on these findings, the FMC has proposed two sets of measures. The first is to impose a fee of $200,000 per voyage on Spanish-flagged vessels calling at US ports. The agency says this amount is based on a measure applied in 1997 during an investigation into the provision of port services in Japan, adjusted for inflation.
The second set of measures includes restrictions on imports of certain Spanish goods. The categories identified include perfumery and cosmetic products, oils and fats, ceramic products, stone articles, sugar, and confectionery.
The FMC used US foreign trade data and the US tariff classification system to select the categories that could be subject to restrictions. The case file considers various ways of implementing the measures, from restrictions on entire product groups to more targeted measures on specific goods.
The Spanish government is also reviewing the proposal and its possible consequences for businesses and foreign trade. According to government sources, the response will be coordinated with the European Commission and the other member states, as the potential US trade restrictions affect relations between the United States and the European Union.
The European Commission has reiterated that it will remain in contact with the Spanish authorities as it studies the scope of the measures and possible action under the EU framework.
For now, the announced fees and restrictions have not taken effect. The FMC has opened a public consultation to receive comments on the proposals and their consequences for maritime transport and international trade.
The case file, identified by reference FMC-2026-0463 and number 26-14, will remain open for comments until December 14, 2026. The US agency is also considering giving Spain the opportunity to participate in a hearing before making a final decision on the proposed measures.
