The World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled this week that some subsidies EU states paid to Airbus were illegal, giving the United States the right to respond with tariffs on EU goods. Washington announced plans for new tariffs on October 2.
Madrid said it was willing to be an intermediary in talks between the EU and the United States but if negotiations failed, it would call for the reactivation of tariffs from a 2004 WTO dispute won by the EU - which Spain says are worth more than EUR4 billion (US$4.4 billion).
"If the US government rejects this offer of dialogue on the part of Spain and the European Union, the Spanish government will react immediately with strength and clarity to defend the interests of our citizens and companies," the government said.
The US ambassador to Spain could not be immediately reached for comment.
Spain estimates the new tariffs, which Washington said it would impose on products including wine and cheese, will affect about EUR1 billion of exports a year.
"It makes no sense that a conflict over the financing and construction of civilian airplanes degenerates into a broad commercial war against the agricultural sector that is neither good for European or US citizens," it said in a statement.
If the tariffs are confirmed, Spain said it ask the European Commission to apply various measures to mitigate the impact on its agricultural sector.
