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 U.S. 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.”
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.
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 U.S. 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 U.S. will find the best solution,” he said.
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.
