Trump threatens 10% tariff on countries aligning with BRICS policies
US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States will impose an additional 10 percent tariff on any country aligning itself with the "Anti-American policies" of the BRICS group of developing nations. The warning came just hours after BRICS leaders launched their summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“Any country aligning itself with the anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an additional 10 percent tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, without clarifying what he meant by “anti-American policies.”
The BRICS group, originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded last year to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has yet to formally join, while around 30 other nations have expressed interest in becoming members or partners.
Earlier Sunday, BRICS nations issued a joint statement warning that rising tariffs threaten global trade, continuing their indirect criticism of Trump’s trade policies.
Trump’s new tariff threat comes as his administration pushes to finalize multiple trade deals before a self-imposed July 9 deadline for implementing broader retaliatory tariffs.
At their summit yesterday in Rio de Janeiro, BRICS leaders criticized the tariffs imposed by Trump on his country’s trade partners and condemned recent military strikes on Iran. In a joint statement released on the first day of the summit, they expressed “deep concern over the increasing use of tariff and non-tariff measures that distort trade.”
The group described these tariffs as illegal and arbitrary, warning they threaten “to further restrict global trade, disrupt supply chains, and introduce uncertainty into international economic and commercial activities.” The eleven emerging countries that make up BRICS—including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—represent about half of the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output. However, the leaders have been cautious not to directly criticize the United States or its president, especially since several member countries are engaged in ongoing negotiations with Washington.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bynum said on Sunday that the new tariffs will take effect starting August 1 if Washington’s trade partners—from Taiwan to the European Union—do not reach agreements with the US before then.
