U.S. President Donald Trump has warned of a 10% additional tariff on goods from countries that, according to him, support the “anti-American policies” of the BRICS bloc.
In a post shared on social media, Trump declared: “Any country aligning itself with the anti-American policies of BRICS will face an additional 10 per cent tariff on goods. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Trump’s remarks signal a hardening U.S. stance towards the BRICS grouping, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, along with several newly inducted and partner nations. The group collectively accounts for around 40% of global GDP and nearly half of the world’s population, and now represents roughly a quarter of global trade and investment flows.
The warning came after the joint statement of the BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting criticized the unilateral imposition of tariffs and trade restrictions. The statement noted: “We voiced our serious concerns with the unilateral imposition of trade and finance-related actions, including the raising of tariffs and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.”
BRICS finance leaders emphasized the importance of a rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core and called for avoiding trade wars that could further destabilize the global economy.
Trump’s tariff warning also comes ahead of the July 9 deadline for the expiration of a previously announced three-month tariff pause, declared on April 9. He confirmed that U.S. tariff letters and trade deals will begin rolling out at 12:00 PM (ET) on Monday, July 7, to multiple countries.
This escalating rhetoric adds to global concerns about rising trade protectionism and geopolitical tensions between major economic powers.
