Washington, DC (BN24) – President Donald Trump warned Sunday that the United States will impose an additional 10% tariff on any nation aligning with what he described as the “Anti-American policies” of the BRICS group, just hours after the bloc’s leaders opened a summit in Rio de Janeiro focused on strengthening ties among emerging economies.
The BRICS—originally Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. The grouping now represents more than half the world’s population and around 40% of global economic output. In his remarks to business leaders on Saturday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva underscored the bloc’s rising clout and likened BRICS to the Cold War-era Non-Aligned Movement, portraying it as a counterweight to what he called growing protectionism and divisions in Western-led institutions.
“With multilateralism under attack, our autonomy is in check once again,” Lula said. “BRICS is the heir to the Non-Aligned Movement.”
The group’s joint statement, issued on Sunday, warned that surging tariffs—including U.S. trade measures—threaten to destabilize global commerce. Hours later, Trump responded on Truth Social.
“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 posted, without detailing which policies he considers anti-American.
Trump’s administration is racing to finalize dozens of trade agreements ahead of a July 9 deadline he set for imposing sweeping retaliatory tariffs. His threat underscores growing tensions between Washington and the Global South, even as developing nations press to overhaul institutions such as the United Nations Security Council and the International Monetary Fund to reflect what they call a multipolar 21st-century reality.
The summit drew an array of leaders to Rio’s Museum of Modern Art, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Russian President Vladimir Putin joined virtually due to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant over the Ukraine war, while China’s President Xi Jinping sent Premier Li Qiang in his place.
Indonesia’s senior economic minister, Airlangga Hartarto, attended in person and plans to travel to the United States on Monday for tariff negotiations, an official confirmed.
In their closing communique, BRICS leaders voiced support for Ethiopia and Iran joining the World Trade Organization, condemned Israeli military action in Gaza, and criticized attacks on Iran’s civilian infrastructure. They also described a recent assault in India-administered Kashmir as a terrorist act.
While the bloc’s expansion has bolstered its diplomatic weight, it has also raised questions about whether a group that now includes regional rivals can maintain a coherent agenda.
Leaders also advanced plans to pilot a BRICS Multilateral Guarantees initiative within the group’s New Development Bank to lower borrowing costs and spur investment. In a separate statement on artificial intelligence, they called for safeguards against unauthorized data collection and a framework to ensure fair compensation for AI-driven content.
Brazil, which will host the United Nations climate summit in November, has sought to showcase the role of developing countries in tackling climate change—an effort that contrasts sharply with Trump’s rollback of U.S. climate commitments. According to two people familiar with the talks, China and the UAE signaled to Brazilian officials their intention to invest in a proposed Tropical Forests Forever Facility to fund protection of endangered forests worldwide.
