The president said that tariffs letters are expected to be sent out on Monday.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday that an additional 10 percent tariff will be imposed on countries aligning with BRICS policies. He made the remarks after the bloc warned against “the proliferation of trade-restrictive actions,” such as tariff hikes.
“Any Country 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,” he stated on Truth Social.
BRICS is a bloc of countries, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran, focused on strengthening economic and social cooperation among members and boosting the influence of Global South nations in international governance.
Trump did not specify the policies he considered to be anti-American. His post came as leaders of the bloc gathered at a summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6. Russian President Vladimir Putin was absent due to an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attending on his behalf.
BRICS leaders issued a joint statement following the summit, which said that the “proliferation of trade-restrictive actions, whether in the form of indiscriminate rising of tariffs and non-tariff measures, or protectionism under the guise of environmental objectives,” could disrupt the global economy and exacerbate the existing economic disparities.
“We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with [World Trade Organization] rules,” they stated.
The bloc also announced Indonesia as a new member and designated Belarus, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Cuba, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand as BRIC partner countries.
The joint statement made no mention of the United States. In April, Trump imposed a 10 percent baseline tariff and reciprocal tariffs on nearly all trade partners in a move to address trade deficits but later paused the reciprocal tariffs for 90 days to allow time for negotiations. The 90-day pause will expire on July 9.
