US President Donald Trump has announced a new punitive tariff policy targeting countries that align themselves with the BRICS bloc in ways he describes as “anti-American.”
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump stated: “Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy.”
Trump’s warning follows a weekend summit of BRICS finance ministers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where members of the bloc criticised US tariff policies and pushed for reforms in global financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The BRICS alliance—originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—has expanded in recent years to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Together, these nations now represent over half of the world’s population and are positioning themselves as a diplomatic and economic counterweight to the West.
In a joint statement, BRICS finance ministers condemned protectionist trade practices, warning that tariffs like those employed by the US “bring uncertainty into international economic and trade activities” and threaten global growth. They also criticised recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran, calling them “a violation of international law.”
Trump has long been critical of BRICS, portraying the bloc as a direct challenge to US economic dominance. In 2024, he threatened to impose 100% tariffs on BRICS nations if they introduced a new global currency to rival the US dollar, a proposal still under discussion among member states.
The Rio summit was attended by several high-profile leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Notably absent was Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was represented by Premier Li Qiang. Russian President Vladimir Putin, facing an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, joined the meeting virtually.
Chioma Kalu
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