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President Donald Trump said Sunday the United States will impose an additional 10 percent tariff on any country that aligns itself with what he called the “Anti-American policies” of the BRICS group, a coalition of developing nations holding a summit this week in Brazil.
“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 on Truth Social.
His warning came just hours after BRICS leaders issued a joint statement from the summit in Rio de Janeiro, criticizing rising tariffs as a threat to global trade. The group’s remarks were seen as a veiled rebuke of Trump’s approach to trade policy.
The BRICS bloc originally included Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Recent additions include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has yet to formally join, but more than 30 other nations have expressed interest in some form of partnership, according to organizers.
Trump’s administration is racing to finalize several trade agreements ahead of a self-imposed July 9 deadline, after which he has signaled broader retaliatory tariffs could be imposed.
At the BRICS opening session, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva likened the group to the Cold War-era Non-Aligned Movement and warned of the increasing trend of protectionism.
“BRICS is the heir to the Non-Aligned Movement,” Lula said. “With multilateralism under attack, our autonomy is in check once again.”
Lula also told business leaders that BRICS nations now account for over half the world’s population and about 40 percent of global economic output.
The news comes as Trump said he plans to begin delivering letters to countries regarding tariff deals on Monday.
“I am pleased to announce that the UNITED STATES TARIFF Letters, and/or Deals, with various Countries from around the World, will be delivered starting 12:00 P.M. (Eastern), Monday, July 7th. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DONALD J. TRUMP, President of The United States of America,” he posted to Truth Social late Sunday.
