U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to impose an additional 10% in import tariffs on countries aligning themselves with the “Anti-American policies” of BRICS after the bloc issued a statement criticizing the global impact of his trade policies.
“Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff,” he wrote in a post on the TruthSocial platform. “There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added, without any additional details.
BRICS refers to a grouping of countries—initially Brazil, Russia, India and China—that includes South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia as members. The 11 emerging nations account for about half the world’s population and 40% of global economic output.
During a summit on Sunday, the bloc criticized Trump’s “indiscriminate” import tariffs. Without naming him directly, they expressed “serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff” measures, stating they hurt the global economy. They also offered symbolic backing to member state Iran, condemning Israeli and U.S. military strikes on nuclear and other targets last month.
Despite an ongoing “pause” on punitive duties, the U.S. president has warned he would impose unilateral levies on partners unless they reach “deals” by Aug. 1.