US maritime regulator proposes $200,000 fee on Spanish-flagged ships

The proposed measures

On Wednesday, 14 October 2026, the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) proposed two retaliatory measures against Spain. The first would charge $200,000 per voyage on every merchant ship flying the Spanish flag that operates in relation to US ports, which EL PAÍS puts at about 180,000 euros at the exchange rate it cites. The second would restrict imports into the United States of five product groups: perfumery and cosmetics, oils and fats, ceramics, stone articles, and sugar and confectionery. ABC notes that the fee would apply to a Spanish-flagged ship whatever it carries, and that it would recur with every taxed voyage rather than being a single penalty per vessel. The commission did not state how many Spanish-flagged ships operate in US waters or how many annual voyages would be affected, according to ABC. El Mundo describes the package as a surcharge on each Spanish ship that wants to use US ports, plus restrictions on several products, with the decision not yet adopted.

Why the commission acted

The proposal follows an investigation that EL PAÍS and El Mundo both date to December 2024. The FMC says it gathered conclusive evidence that Spanish authorities denied US-flagged vessels access to Spanish ports, and that this created unfavourable conditions for maritime transport in US foreign trade. The commission argues those conditions damage the efficiency and reliability of the international maritime supply chain, and that they hinder the promotion of US exports, the growth of a national merchant fleet and national security goals. EL PAÍS links the probe to ships carrying cargo under the Maritime Security Program of the US Maritime Administration, which it says is tied to goods bound for Israel. El Mundo reports that the commission's notice stresses the case concerns supply-chain reliability rather than the reasons behind Spain's position, and that the commission does not examine those reasons. El Mundo ties the dispute to Spain's decision to bar ships bound for or coming from Israel that carry defence material from using its port facilities. El Mundo also says the notice concludes that conditions for US shipping are unfavourable, which opens the door to possible fines and sanctions. ABC notes that in December 2025 the commission had only warned of possible discrimination, whereas now it proposes concrete economic measures.

Diverted ships and the path ahead

El Mundo says many US vessels stopped calling at Spanish ports and rerouted, for example to Tangier, after the commission concluded that Spain keeps a policy that prevents US ships from berthing. EL PAÍS states that the proposal will now go to public consultation before the commission decides how to respond. ABC adds that many international ships registered in third countries would escape the flag-based fee even when they carry Spanish goods, because the levy targets the flag. The import measure works differently, since its criterion is the goods themselves rather than the flag, and ABC describes it as the potentially broader of the two. Neither outlet reports a date for the commission's final decision.