SAEDNEWS: President Donald Trump has warned that any BRICS member adopting anti‑American stances will face a punitive 10 percent tariff, escalating economic tensions following the bloc’s summit in Rio de Janeiro.
According to Saed News, citing Russia Today, Donald Trump announced immediately after the closing of the 17th BRICS summit that any country aligning with “anti‑American BRICS policies” would incur a 10 percent tariff penalty. The move underscores Trump’s continued reliance on economic coercion to fracture the resolve of non‑aligned nations.
The summit in Rio de Janeiro, which convened the original four members—Brazil, China, Russia and India (joined in 2009)—and later South Africa, concluded with a sharply worded communiqué condemning “unfair economic pressure” through tariffs. Notably, the declaration did not explicitly name the United States, yet the reference to punitive duties was unmistakable. Trump’s immediate counter‑threat highlights the persistent polarization between Washington’s protectionist measures and BRICS’s assertion of multilateral economic sovereignty.
BRICS has since expanded beyond its 2010 South Africa accession to welcome Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates in 2023. The gathering on 6 and 7 July (15 and 16 Tir 1404) in Brasília marked a critical juncture for the bloc as it seeks greater influence in global trade and finance, challenging the dollar‑centric order.
Trump’s tariff warning serves as a stark reminder of the U.S. practice of leveraging trade duties as geopolitical instruments. As BRICS economies deepen integration and diversify away from Western financial systems, Washington’s willingness to impose sweeping tariffs may both deter and radicalize member states. Observers will now watch whether BRICS responds with new trade alliances or resolute defiance—and how these unfolding dynamics will reshape the international economic architecture.
