Washington D.C. – July 8, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to countries leaning toward the BRICS alliance, vowing to impose an additional 10% tariff on any nation that aligns with what he called “anti-American” policies promoted by the bloc.
“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,” Trump posted on his social media platform late Sunday.
This latest threat is part of the Trump administration’s aggressive stance on trade, particularly against countries it sees as drifting away from U.S. influence. The move also underscores growing tensions with BRICS — an alliance that includes economic heavyweights like China, Russia, and India, and has recently expanded to welcome countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Egypt.
The White House had previously set a July 9 deadline for countries to reach new trade deals. However, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed over the weekend that the new tariffs would officially go into effect on August 1, giving countries just a few more weeks to strike agreements.
Trump told reporters that formal letters would be dispatched to about a dozen countries on Monday, outlining specific tariff rates if no deals are secured. “They’re going to be tariffs,” he emphasized. “The tariffs are going to be tariffs.”
Since returning to office in January, President Trump has reignited his trademark tariff-based trade policy — a strategy aimed at bolstering American manufacturing and jobs. In April, during what he dubbed “Liberation Day,” Trump unveiled a sweeping set of new duties on foreign imports, some reaching as high as 50%. While he paused the harshest measures for a three-month negotiation window, a 10% baseline tariff has remained in place for most international trade partners during this period.
So far, only the United Kingdom, Vietnam, and partially China have finalized trade agreements with the U.S. Notably, negotiations between Washington and London remain unresolved on key issues like tariffs on British steel.
Last week, Trump warned Japan that it could face tariffs as high as 35% if it failed to secure a trade agreement by mid-week. In May, the European Union was informed it would be hit with 50% tariffs unless a comprehensive deal was reached — prompting the bloc to consider a provisional arrangement to maintain a 10% tariff on most goods, while negotiating lower rates on cars, steel, and aluminum.
The announcement comes amid rising friction between the U.S. and BRICS nations. Following a finance ministers’ summit in Rio de Janeiro, BRICS leaders criticized Washington’s tariff regime, calling it a threat to global economic stability and urging reforms to institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
BRICS — originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — now includes influential economies such as the UAE, Indonesia, and Ethiopia. The bloc represents over half of the world’s population and has become increasingly vocal about challenging the dominance of the U.S. dollar in global trade.
Last year, Trump issued a blunt warning that any BRICS-led attempt to introduce a rival currency to the dollar would be met with 100% tariffs. That threat re-emerged in recent days after the bloc renewed calls to diversify away from Western-led financial systems.
Commenting on the situation, Andrew Wilson, deputy secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce, noted that while many countries may support the idea of moving away from China’s orbit, doing so is easier said than done. “China dominates sectors like EVs, batteries, and rare earth minerals. In many of these areas, there simply are no real alternatives,” he said.
As the clock ticks toward the August 1 deadline, global markets are bracing for a possible escalation in trade tensions — with the potential to upend supply chains and add further pressure to a fragile global economy.
