MADRID, OCTOBER 5 (XINHUA) -- SPANISH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EUROPEAN UNION AFFAIRS, LUIS MARCO AGIGLIANO, SUMMONED US AMBASSADOR TO SPAIN, DUKE BAKKEN, ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT ON THE 4TH TO PROTEST AGAINST THE US GOVERNMENT'S PLAN TO IMPOSE TARIFFS ON SOME EU PRODUCTS EXPORTED TO THE UNITED STATES.ON THE EVENING OF THE 4TH, THE SPANISH PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING THAT THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT FIRMLY OPPOSES THE UNITED STATES' IMPOSITION OF TARIFFS ON A SERIES OF EU PRODUCTS EXPORTED TO THE UNITED STATES, AND HOPES THAT THE UNITED STATES CAN RECOGNIZE THAT REACHING AN AGREEMENT IN THE COMING WEEKS IS NECESSARY TO "AVOID UNDERMINING THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION AND UNDERSTANDING THAT EMBODIES THE CHARACTERISTICS OF BILATERAL RELATIONS".THE STATEMENT EMPHASIZES THAT IF THE US GOVERNMENT REJECTS THE WILLINGNESS OF SPAIN AND THE EU TO ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE, THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT WILL IMMEDIATELY RESPOND WITH A FIRM AND CLEAR ATTITUDE, DEFENDING THE INTERESTS OF ITS CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES.THE STATEMENT ALSO STATED THAT SPANISH MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD LUIS PLANAS PLANS TO ATTEND AN INTERNAL MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION IN BRUSSELS NEXT WEEK TO DISCUSS NECESSARY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE MEASURES.ON THE 2ND, THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION RULED THAT DUE TO THE EU AND SOME MEMBER STATES NOT FULLY IMPLEMENTING THE RELEVANT RULINGS OF THE WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY AND STILL PROVIDING ILLEGAL SUBSIDIES TO AIRBUS, THE UNITED STATES WILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO IMPOSE TARIFFS AND OTHER MEASURES ON APPROXIMATELY $7.5 BILLION WORTH OF EU GOODS AND SERVICES EXPORTED TO THE UNITED STATES ANNUALLY. AFTER THE RULING WAS ISSUED, THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCED PLANS TO IMPOSE TARIFFS ON A SERIES OF EU PRODUCTS EXPORTED TO THE UNITED STATES.MARIA ANGEL LUIS, A PROFESSOR AT EAE BUSINESS SCHOOL IN SPAIN, COMMENTED THAT THE ADDITIONAL TARIFFS WILL ULTIMATELY BE BORNE BY AMERICAN CONSUMERS. ONCE TARIFFS ARE IMPOSED, SPANISH WINE, OLIVE OIL, AND CHEESE ENTHUSIASTS IN THE UNITED STATES CAN ONLY AFFORD HIGHER PRICES FOR RELATED GOODS.ACCORDING TO DATA PROVIDED BY THE SPANISH FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY FEDERATION, THE UNITED STATES IS THE LARGEST EXPORT MARKET FOR SPANISH FOOD AND BEVERAGES OUTSIDE THE EUROPEAN UNION, WITH SPAIN EXPORTING OVER 1.7 BILLION EUROS WORTH OF FOOD AND BEVERAGES TO THE UNITED STATES ANNUALLY.