United States President Donald Trump on Monday warned 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 what specific policies he considers “anti-American”.
Originally formed in 2009, Brics brought together Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining later. The group expanded last year to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Trump’s remarks came just hours after BRICS leaders released the “Rio de Janeiro Declaration”, criticising Washington’s reciprocal tariffs and warning that the “indiscriminate rising of tariffs” threatens to undermine global trade. However, the grouping did not name Donald Trump or the United States in its official statement.
“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 statement read.
The bloc reiterated its support for a “rules-based, open, transparent, fair, inclusive and equitable multilateral trading system”, underpinned by consensus and anchored in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
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