US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on countries aligning with BRICS policies, shortly after Nigeria participated in the bloc’s annual summit for the first time marking its first participation since being formally admitted as a BRICS partner in January 2025.
This follows the 17th BRICS summit held on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, where member countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and now Nigeria reaffirmed their commitment to challenging Western-dominated economic structures and reducing reliance on the US dollar.
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Trump made the threat via his Truth Social platform, stating: “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.”
While Trump did not specify which BRICS policies he considered anti-American, analysts believe the threat reflects growing concern in Washington over the bloc’s push to reform global financial structures and reduce the dominance of Western institutions.
At the summit, President Bola Tinubu emphasized the need to restructure the global financial and healthcare systems, urging more support for low-income and developing nations, particularly in Africa. He highlighted climate change, environmental degradation, and healthcare inequality as key obstacles to development. He also called for equitable financing, technology transfer, and stronger South-South cooperation. Initiatives like the African Carbon Market and the Great Green Wall were cited as evidence of Africa’s readiness to take action ahead of COP-30.
During the summit, Tinubu also met with the Director General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to discuss Nigeria’s successful bid for the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund, which aims to support women-led digital enterprises in the country.
In response to the US stance, China rejected the use of tariffs as a pressure tactic and encouraged a de-escalation of global trade tensions. Meanwhile, the US is expected to begin notifying trade partners on Monday with country-specific tariff terms. The new tariffs, announced in April, are set to take effect on August 1 for countries that fail to reach a trade agreement with Washington.
