Trump Threatens, Tariff Deadline Looms, BRICS And The Price of Defiance

Trump threatens extra 10% tariff on nations on same side with Brics

U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his economic standoff with the growing BRICS alliance, warning that any country aligning with the bloc’s anti-American policies will be slapped with an additional 10% import tariff, with no exceptions.

“Any country aligning themselves with the anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% tariff,” Trump posted on social media on Sunday, July 7, 2025.

He added that letters would be sent out this week to affected countries.

This new penalty follows an earlier wave of tariffs introduced as part of what Trump calls his “America First” trade agenda, aimed at reviving U.S. manufacturing and shielding domestic jobs.

Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has rolled out aggressive trade measures against dozens of countries, arguing they undercut American industry.

A Hard Deadline Approaches

The White House had previously given countries a July 9 deadline to finalize trade deals before sweeping tariffs kick in.

With many talks unresolved, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed that the additional tariffs will begin August 1.

Trump, characteristically blunt, said: “They’re going to be tariffs. The tariffs are going to be tariffs.”

So far, the U.S. has successfully negotiated new deals with the UK and Vietnam, and reached a partial agreement with China.

Yet several key players, including the European Union, Japan, and many BRICS members, remain at odds with Washington’s terms.

The EU is reportedly weighing a compromise that would preserve a 10% tariff on most goods, while reducing U.S. duties on EU cars, steel, and aluminum.

Japan, meanwhile, has been warned it could face tariffs as high as 35% if it does not comply with U.S. demands by this week.

The BRICS Factor

Trump’s latest warning zeroes in on BRICS, the economic coalition originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

In 2023, it expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

The bloc now represents over half of the world’s population and a growing share of global GDP.

BRICS nations have increasingly positioned themselves as a counterweight to U.S.-led institutions.

It calls for reforms to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and proposing alternatives to the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency.

Last year, Trump warned of 100% tariffs on any country that supported the development of a BRICS-backed currency.

The latest threat appears to be in direct response to a joint BRICS finance ministers’ statement issued after a summit in Rio de Janeiro.

There, they criticized U.S. tariffs as a destabilizing force in the global economy and proposed new trade norms to counter Western dominance.

Economic Experts Sound the Alarm

Andrew Wilson, deputy secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce, told the BBC that the U.S. push to isolate BRICS countries economically could backfire.

“Shifting away from China in a number of sectors is far more difficult than it sounds,” Wilson said.

“In electric vehicles, batteries, rare earths, China remains irreplaceable.”

China’s dominance in critical supply chains, particularly in advanced manufacturing and green energy, means that tariffs alone may not be enough to wean global markets off BRICS dependencies.

Deals on the Table

Despite the rhetoric, some progress has been made.

The U.S. has finalized two key agreements:

UK Deal: U.S. tariffs on UK-made cars and parts will drop from 27.5% to 10% on up to 100,000 vehicles.

Aerospace imports will now be tax-free. In return, the UK will eliminate duties on American ethanol and beef.

Vietnam Deal: Vietnamese goods exported to the U.S. will face a 20% tariff, while American exports to Vietnam will enter duty-free.

However, any foreign goods rerouted through Vietnam en route to the U.S. will be taxed at 40% to curb trans-shipping.

China Partial Deal: Some U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports have dropped from 145% to 30%.

China has reciprocated by cutting duties on U.S. goods from 125% to 10% and suspending non-tariff retaliation measures, such as export bans on rare minerals.

A High-Stakes Trade Standoff

With the BRICS bloc pushing for a new world economic order, and Trump doubling down on tariff-based diplomacy, the coming weeks could define the future shape of global trade.

For now, countries are weighing whether to align with Washington’s hardline stance—or risk economic penalties for siding with its rising challengers.

The White House says it remains open to negotiations but insists the August 1 tariff hike will go ahead as planned unless deals are secured.

As one senior official put it, “You’re either with us, or you’re paying for it.”

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook