Washington/July,7: 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, China, South Africa and India, held a meeting 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 attending the summit.
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. He has 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.
Chinese Premier Li on Sunday 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.
