Trump Targets BRICS Allies with 10% Tariff Threat, Nigeria Included
President of the United States of America (U.S.A.), Donald Trump, has declared that an extra 10% tariff will be imposed on any nation that aligns itself with what he labelled as the “anti-American policies” of the BRICS coalition, with which Nigeria is aligned.
His comments come as the bloc’s leaders—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and newer members such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—convened for a summit in Brazil on Sunday.
Trump’s pronouncement was made on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he wrote: “Any country aligning itself 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!”
He did not elaborate on which specific policies he considered “anti-American.”
This move intensifies trade tensions when global economic cooperation is under strain. The Trump administration has been working to conclude multiple trade pacts ahead of a self-imposed July 9 deadline, which is expected to mark the imposition of extensive retaliatory tariffs. India, one of the key BRICS members, has yet to issue an official response.
The BRICS alliance, originally formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, later welcomed South Africa and expanded further last year to include several other nations. Indonesia is participating in the summit for the first time.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, during his speech at the summit in Rio de Janeiro, likened the bloc to the historic Non-Aligned Movement, which sought independence from Cold War power blocs.
“BRICS is the heir to the Non-Aligned Movement,” Lula told his fellow leaders. “With multilateralism under attack, our autonomy is in check once again,” he asserted.
In a collective communiqué issued later that day, BRICS nations criticised rising tariffs as a threat to global commerce, subtly rebuking Washington’s increasingly protectionist stance.
During an earlier business forum, Lula underscored BRICS’ growing global weight, noting that the bloc now represents more than 50% of the world’s population and around 40% of global GDP. He also warned of a concerning increase in trade barriers globally.
