Trump Warns Additional 10 % Tariffs for BRICS-Aligned Nations

Washington, MINA – US President Donald Trump announced Sunday night that countries aligning with the anti-American policies of the BRICS bloc would face an additional 10% tariff, with no exceptions to be made.

The president’s remarks follow heightened tensions with the BRICS alliance, now an 11-member bloc including Brazil, Russia, India, and China which has openly criticized the use of unilateral trade restrictions.

Speaking aboard Air Force One on July 4, Trump stated he had signed 12 new tariff notifications, which are scheduled to be delivered the week of July 8. These measures, which stem from an April initiative, will increase tariff rates to between 10% and 70%, affecting nations such as Taiwan and EU members. The tariffs are expected to be implemented starting July 9.

Trump’s statement came shortly after BRICS leaders, meeting in Brazil for their first expanded summit since 2009, expressed deep concern over US trade policy, condemning unilateral sanctions and warning that such actions undermine the World Trade Organization (WTO) and global economic stability. Notably, the bloc avoided directly mentioning Trump, but criticized the use of tariffs and opposed recent US military strikes on Iran.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the summit in person, though their governments remain vocal in resisting what they view as US economic coercion.

In a related announcement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that countries failing to reach agreements with the U.S. by August 1 will see tariffs revert to April levels. “We are saying this is when it’s happening,” Bessent told CNN, affirming the administration’s firm deadline.

Trump’s policy, dubbed “Liberation Day Tariffs,” marks a significant escalation in the White House’s ongoing trade realignment. It follows a pattern of aggressive economic measures targeting states perceived as drifting toward BRICS or resisting US trade terms. []

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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