Trump threatens extra 10% tariff on nations aligning with BRICS 'anti-American policies'

Just hours after BRICS leaders released the “Rio de Janeiro Declaration” criticising US reciprocal tariffs and warning that the “indiscriminate rising of tariffs” threatens to undermine global trade, US President Donald Trump on Monday issued a stern warning.

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He stated that any country aligning itself with what he called the “anti-American policies” of the BRICS bloc would face an additional 10 per cent tariff.

“Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

However, the US President did not elaborate on which specific policies he considers to be “anti-American.”

Earlier, BRICS leaders released the Rio de Janeiro Declaration, directly criticising Washington’s use of reciprocal tariffs. The bloc warned that the “indiscriminate rising of tariffs” could further destabilise the global economy and trade.

“The proliferation of trade-restrictive actions, whether in the form of indiscriminate rising of tariffs and nontariff measures, threatens to further reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty into international economic and trade activities,” the declaration stated.

While the BRICS declaration did not directly name the US or Trump, its message was widely interpreted as a critique of current American trade policy.

The declaration further emphasised support for a multilateral trade system, stating: “In this context, we reiterate our support for the rules-based, open, transparent, fair, inclusive, equitable, non-discriminatory, consensus-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at its core, with special and differential treatment for its developing members.”

Founded in 2009 with Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, BRICS expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The bloc now includes 11 key economies that together account for nearly half the world’s population (49.5 per cent), approximately 40 per cent of global GDP, and around 26 per cent of global trade.