US threatens Sánchez government with sanctions for preventing Israel-bound ships from entering its ports

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The United States is threatening economic sanctions against Spain for preventing ships bound for Israel from entering its ports.

The US Federal Maritime Commission is considering limiting cargo and barring Spanish ships from entering US ports in retaliation.

Spain has refused docking to ships carrying weapons or military fuel to Israel since November 2024.

The Spanish government maintains its policy of prohibiting the use of its ports and airspace to transport weapons to Israel.

THE Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the federal regulator of international maritime transport in the United States, filed a complaint this Friday against the Government port policy by Pedro Sanchez.

A year after opening an investigation into Spain’s refusal to dock several US ships since November last year of goods originating from or destined for Israel, the FMC is now discussing possible formal countermeasures.

Among the possible measures that the US federal regulator is considering include “limitations on cargo”, “denial of entry to vessels operating under the Spanish flag” in US ports and the imposition of direct economic sanctions “up to the current inflation-adjusted limit”$2,304,629 per trip.”

US President Donald Trump and Pedro Sánchez shake hands during the peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

During the initial phase of its investigation, the FMC confirmed that Spain directly banned the entry of at least three ships with an American flag in November 2024 and that the policy which motivates these refusals “remains in force”.

Updated information from “multiple sources,” according to the FMC notice released this Friday, confirmed that Spain has denied berthing privileges at the APM terminals in Algeciras, Spain, in November 2024 to three US-flagged vessels operating under the MSP: Maersk Denver, Maersk Nysted and Maersk Seletar.

Since then, the Sánchez government has maintained its policy of banning ships and planes carrying weapons to Israel or oil tankers which transport fuel for military use from Tel Aviv use Spanish ports and airspace.

The Federal Maritime Commission initiated this investigation because it was “concerned that this apparent policy of denying entry to certain vessels creates unfavorable conditions for maritime transportation in foreign commerce.”

Specifically, the FMC was informed on November 19 that Spain was denying port access to vessels, including those enrolled in the U.S.-run Maritime Security Program, which aims to protect vessels and their owners from “restrictive and discriminatory” licensing, given that their services are frequently used by the U.S. military.

Last May, the Minister of Transport of Spain, Oscar Puente, said the Foreign Ministry had refused a docking request for the Danish-flagged ship Marianne Danica, saying it was “transporting weapons to Israel”.

A day later, on May 17, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albaresdeclared on public radio and television RTVE that it was the first ship carrying weapons to Israel who had been refused entry.

“We are not going to contribute to more weapons arriving in the Middle East. The region needs peace. This is why this first refusal of authorization will initiate a policy for any ship that transports weapons to Israel and wants to dock in a Spanish port,” he then defended.

Refusal to allow mooring of the Marianne Danica in the Mediterranean port of Cartagena came just days before Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, recognized the Palestinian state on May 28.

The FMC is an independent agency charged with monitoring and evaluating conditions that may affect shipping and international commerce in the United States.