President Donald Trump has warned he will impose additional tariffs on any nation that supports the “anti-American” policies of the BRICS group, a political and diplomatic coordination forum consisting of 11 member countries.
“Any nation aligning itself with the anti-American policies of BRICS will be subject to an extra 10% tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump stated on Sunday night.
Trump did not explicitly define what constitutes “anti-American” policies in this context, but he had previously cautioned the group against establishing a new BRICS currency or “supporting any alternative currency to supersede the formidable U.S. dollar.”
This warning followed the U.S. President’s hint regarding long-anticipated trade actions, with letters discussing these steps with other countries expected to be announced from 12 pm ET on Monday. This signals progress on the trade front as the July 9 deadline for the pause on Trump’s tariffs draws near.
To date, Trump has only revealed agreements with three countries: the , , and Vietnam.
BRICS commenced its two-day 2025 summit in Brazil . Leaders from participating countries signed a joint declaration titled “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.”
Predictably, on Monday, the possibility of additional U.S. tariffs cast a shadow over the intergovernmental organization’s proceedings.
Here is essential information following Trump’s remarks.
Understanding BRICS
BRICS—an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—, functions as a platform for emerging and less developed economies to collaborate on crucial issues such as trade, security, and diplomacy.
Brazil, Russia, India, and China were the original members, with South Africa extended an invitation to join . Since then, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia have been welcomed aboard, bringing the total membership to 11 nations.
The group also formed partnerships with strategic nations at the previous year’s summit, which include Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Nigeria. Vietnam was as the 10th partner country in June.
BRICS is largely perceived as contesting the unipolar global power structure, where the United States is considered the dominant superpower. Conversely, BRICS members advocate for a multipolar arrangement, where multiple nations direct international collaborative endeavors.
contend that the U.S.’s standing as the sole superpower is and that the transition towards a multipolar global power dynamic has already commenced.
BRICS claims it accounts for 24% of global commercial transactions and constitutes 39% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
On the opening day of this year’s summit, a statement from BRICS leaders criticized the “indiscriminate increase of tariffs,” without explicitly mentioning the U.S. or Trump.
“We express grave concerns regarding the proliferation of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures that disrupt trade and contravene WTO [World Trade Organization] regulations,” the declaration asserted.
BRICS nations additionally reinforced their vision for shaping future global power and commerce.
“We wish to underscore the crucial role of the global south in driving positive transformation, particularly amidst substantial international difficulties—such as escalating geopolitical strains, economic deceleration, rapid technological advancement, protectionist policies, and migration issues,” the group declared.
BRICS Leaders’ Reactions to Trump’s Tariff Warning
On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that his country spoke out against actions that undermine other nations.
Peskov confirmed the Kremlin was cognizant of Trump’s most recent tariff warning concerning “anti-American policies.”
“We have indeed observed such declarations by President Trump,” Peskov stated, “but it is crucial to recognize that BRICS, as a unique group, comprises countries that hold shared perspectives and a common global outlook on fostering cooperation based on their individual interests. Furthermore, this collaboration within BRICS has never been, nor will it ever be, aimed against any third party nations.”
China’s foreign ministry likewise responded, asserting its opposition to tariffs being employed as a means of coercion. Spokesperson Mao Ning informed reporters that utilizing tariffs benefits no one .
Kaamil Alli, spokesperson for South Africa’s trade ministry, was quoted by Reuters saying: “We are still awaiting official correspondence from the U.S. regarding our trade agreement, but our discussions continue to be productive and beneficial. As we have stated before, we are not against America.”
Airlangga Hartarto, Indonesia’s coordinating minister of economic affairs, is scheduled to the U.S. on Monday following the conclusion of the BRICS summit in Brazil. Tariffs are highly likely to be a primary topic of discussion upon their arrival.
Trump had previously issued tariff threats against BRICS. In November, after securing the presidential election, he warned of a 100% tariff on BRICS countries if they were to “deviate” .
“ The notion that BRICS nations are attempting to abandon the dollar while we passively observe is finished,” he declared. “We demand a pledge from these countries that they will neither establish a new BRICS currency nor endorse any other currency to supersede the formidable U.S. dollar, otherwise they will encounter 100% tariffs and should anticipate losing access to the splendid U.S. economy.”