In a bold statement that underscores rising global tensions, former U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 10% tariff on countries aligning with what he called the “anti-American policies of BRICS.”
Posting on his Truth Social account on Sunday, Trump declared:
“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.”
His remarks follow the 17th BRICS Partner Countries Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday, where the bloc, now expanded to include Nigeria and eight other partner nations, intensified its call for reforms to global financial institutions and expressed concern over trade-distorting tariffs.
Speaking at the summit, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu urged the international community to rethink the structure of global governance, calling for more inclusive financial and healthcare systems that fairly reflect the voices of low-income and emerging economies, particularly in Africa.
“Environmental degradation, the climate crisis, and widening healthcare inequalities are stalling progress,” Tinubu stated. “We must reform global institutions to better serve the interests of all, not just a few.”
Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the BRICS partnership and pledged continued support for South-South cooperation and inclusive global reforms.
He stressed that sustainable development cannot be achieved while Africa and other underrepresented regions remain on the margins of global decision-making.
Nigeria officially became a BRICS Partner Country in January 2025, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan, following the bloc’s historic 16th summit in Kazan, Russia, in 2024 which introduced the partner category.
Trump’s latest remarks reflect growing unease in Washington over the rising influence of BRICS, which has been pushing for reduced reliance on the U.S. dollar, reformed multilateral institutions, and alternative development finance frameworks. With BRICS increasingly positioning itself as a counterweight to Western-dominated systems, the bloc’s expanded partnerships have not gone unnoticed.
As global alliances continue to shift, Nigeria’s growing role within BRICS signals its ambition to shape international discourse even as it risks facing retaliatory economic measures from Western powers.
