Alignment with Brics' 'anti-US policies' to invite additional 10% tariffs, warns Trump

• Brics members say tariffs risked hurting global economy.
• Members offer symbolic backing to fellow member Iran.
• Trump warns he will impose unilateral levies on partners.
  

US President Donald Trump has said that countries aligning themselves with the "Anti-American policies" of Brics, will be charged an additional 10% tariff.

"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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Trump did not clarify or expand on the "Anti-American policies" reference in his post.

The original Brics group gathered leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China at its first summit in 2009. The bloc later added South Africa and last year included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia as members.

Brics leaders at a summit on Sunday took aim at US President Donald Trump’s “indiscriminate” import tariffs.

The 11 emerging nations — including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — account for about half the world’s population and 40% of global economic output.

The bloc is divided about much, but found common cause when it comes to the mercurial US leader and his stop-start tariff wars — even if they avoided naming him directly.

Voicing “serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff” measures, Brics members said the tariffs risked hurting the global economy, according to a summit joint statement.

They also offered symbolic backing to fellow member Iran, condemning a series of military strikes on nuclear and other targets carried out by Israel and the United States.

In April, Trump threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties, before offering a months-long reprieve in the face of a fierce market sell-off.

Trump has now warned he will impose unilateral levies on partners unless they reach “deals” by August 1.

In an apparent concession to US allies, the summit declaration did not criticise the United States or its president by name at any point.

Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the Brics have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to US and western European power.

But as the group has expanded to include Iran, Saudi Arabia and others, it has struggled to reach meaningful consensus on issues such as US global dominance.

Brics nations, for example, collectively called for a peaceful two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict — despite Tehran’s long-standing position that Israel should be destroyed.

An Iranian diplomatic source said his government’s “reservations” had been conveyed to Brazilian hosts. Still, Iran stopped short of rejecting the statement outright.

China opposes tariffs being used as a tool of coercion

China opposes tariffs being used as a tool to coerce others, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday, after US President Donald Trump threatened an extra 10% tariffs on countries aligning themselves with the Brics group of developing nations.

The use of tariffs serves no one, said Mao Ning, spokesperson of the ministry, at a regular press conference.