Trump threatens 10% tariff for ‘anti-American' BRICS policies

News24

5 hours ago

US president Donald Trump said he would put an additional 10% tariff on any country aligning themselves with 'the anti-American policies of BRICS,' injecting further uncertainty into global trade as the US continues to negotiate levies with many trading partners.
'Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff,' Trump said Sunday night in a Truth Social post. 'There will be no exceptions to this policy.'
The comments come as the US prepares to send tariff letters to dozens of countries in the coming days, with the Trump administration's 90-day pause on higher duties set to expire on Wednesday. Trump said in a separate post that the letters would start being delivered from noon Monday, Washington time.
BRICS, a grouping of nations that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, held a summit over the weekend, where leaders condemned US and Israeli attacks on Iran and called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to withdraw troops from the Gaza Strip. They urged a 'just and lasting' resolution to conflicts across the Middle East. Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among those who attended.
Trump's post didn't specify which policies he considers 'anti-American,' nor did it provide details on when any of those tariffs might be imposed.
'Trump's comments are a warning shot for emerging market nations looking to go down the BRICS alignment path,' said Mingze Wu, a trader at StoneX Financial Inc. in Singapore, adding that they're likely in response to what BRICS said about Gaza.
Major US trading partners are racing to secure trade agreements or lobby for extra time ahead of the July 9 deadline. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled that some nations without deals in place could have the option of a three-week extension to negotiate, with the levies set to take effect on August 1.
In a joint statement released Sunday, leaders gathered in Brazil agreed to denounce military strikes against Iran, a BRICS member, since June 13, when Israel began attacks that culminated with US airstrikes nine days later.
The 10-member bloc of emerging-market nations also expressed 'grave concern about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory' — citing Israeli attacks and the obstruction of the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, something Israel denies — while calling for a permanent and unconditional ceasefire, along with the release of all hostages.
Chinese Premier Li said BRICS countries should take the lead in advancing reforms in global governance and championing the peaceful resolution of international disputes.
'Today's world is more turbulent, with unilateralism and protectionism on the rise,' Li said. 'China is willing to work with BRICS countries to promote global governance in a more just, reasonable, efficient and orderly direction.'
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn't immediately respond to a request seeking comment on Trump's latest post. India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry declined to comment.
Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs spokesperson Haryo Limanseto said the government has 'no comment' specifically on Trump's remarks regarding additional tariffs on BRICS countries. 'The team is still working. Hopefully Indonesia and the US will find the best solution,' he said.
Trump has also previously threatened to slap 100% levies on BRICS if they ditch the US dollar in bilateral trade. The pushback, in turn, has spurred interest in developing local payment systems and other instruments that can facilitate commerce and investment between the nations.
On Sunday, BRICS leaders agreed to continue talks on a cross-border payment system for trade and investment — a project they've been discussing for a decade, though progress has been slow.