Trump threatens additional 10% tariffs on BRICS, partner countries

Trump

United States President Donald Trump says countries aligning themselves with the “Anti-American policies of BRICS” will be charged an additional 10 percent tariff.

“There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

His announcement comes as the US begins formally notifying affected countries of the tariffs declared earlier this year, with letters and deals set to roll out on Monday.

Trump has long criticised BRICS, an economic bloc whose members include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

The organisation was designed to boost countries’ international standing and challenge the US and western Europe.

The group was later expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2024. The following year, Indonesia became the first South-east Asia member.

In January, Nigeria joined Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan as BRICS’ ninth partner country after the alliance’s partner-country category was created at the 16th BRICS Summit in 2024.

Nigeria has continued to push for a full membership.

Since taking office in January, Trump has announced a series of import taxes on goods from other countries, including a 14 percent tariff on Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Brazil said BRICS’ foreign ministers expressed “serious concern at the prospect of a fragmented global economy and the weakening of multilateralism” in Rio de Janeiro.