Trump promises 10% tariffs for those who align with BRICS policies
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday (6) that countries that align themselves with the "anti-American policies" of the BRICS will pay an additional 10% tariff.
"Any country that aligns with the BRICS anti-American policies will pay an ADDITIONAL 10% tariff. There will be NO exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump did not clarify or expand on the reference to "anti-American policies" in his post.
BRICSCurrently with eleven official members , the BRICS group — which Brazil presides over and hosts the start of the annual summit in Rio de Janeiro this Sunday (6) — also has ten other partner nations.
The countries share financial and institutional cooperation relations with each other. Together, based on data from the World Bank, the BRICS have a GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of US$24.7 trillion, in addition to the largest territorial dimensions and populations.
The original group was created in 2009 and was made up of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The initial name was BRIC, a reference to the initials of the four countries, and was coined by the English economist Jim O'Neil in 2001.
O'Neil, who at the time was chief economist at Goldman Sachs, wrote in a report entitled "Building Better Global Economic BRICs", pointing to the initial four as emerging countries with potential for growth and investment.
The "S" officially joined the class in 2011, with South Africa. In recent years, the number of members has increased.
Full membersSixteen years after the first BRICS summit, the grouping has grown and now includes eleven member countries:
- Brazil
- Russia
- India
- China
- South Africa
- Saudi Arabia
- Egypt
- United Arab Emirates
- Ethiopia
- Indonesia
- Iran
Between 2024 and 2025 alone, six new immigrants were admitted. The expansion follows the Johannesburg Declaration, made in August 2023. It also included an invitation to other countries, such as Argentina, which ended up declining.
In terms of foreign trade, BRICS accounts for 24% of global trade , according to COMEVIX (Trade Balance and Foreign Trade Statistics).
At the other end, in terms of territory, the group represents 48.5% of the planet's population , including the two largest countries in terms of demographics: India and China.
(With information from Maria Clara Matos, from CNN )
CNN Brasil
