Former U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to nations aligning with the BRICS group of developing countries, threatening an additional 10% tariff on their exports to the United States. The statement, posted Sunday night on Trump’s Truth Social platform, comes amid heightened trade tensions and ahead of a crucial deadline for tariff negotiations.
“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 wrote, delivering a stark ultimatum just as BRICS members concluded a summit in Brazil.
The BRICS bloc — originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — has recently expanded to include other developing economies. While the group did not single out the United States in their joint statement, they did issue condemnations of military actions in Iran and unilateral tariffs. BRICS members have also historically discussed efforts to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar in global trade, which Trump and his advisers now appear to see as antagonistic to U.S. interests.
As reported by the Financial Times, Trump’s threat coincides with the end of a 90-day pause on steep import levies first announced in April, on what he called his “liberation day.” Those tariffs — aimed at recalibrating U.S. trade relationships — had been temporarily suspended to allow for negotiations. With that window closing, the Trump administration is now preparing to impose the higher levies unless swift agreements are reached.
Speaking to CNN on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said countries that had failed to secure deals with the U.S. would soon be formally notified that tariffs would revert to April’s elevated levels starting August 1.
“I’m not going to give away the playbook,” Bessent said. “President Trump is going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners saying that if you don’t move things along, then on August 1st, you will boomerang back to your April 2nd tariff level.”
So far, only three nations — the UK, China, and Vietnam — have reached new trade pacts with Washington. Key allies like the European Union, Japan, and South Korea remain at risk of facing the renewed tariffs. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and White House economic adviser Stephen Miran confirmed that negotiations are ongoing, with Miran telling ABC he was “hearing good things” about progress with Europe and India.
Trump reiterated Sunday evening that formal notifications would begin going out by noon Monday and that most countries should expect either a finalized deal or a formal tariff letter by July 9.
The tariff pause was initially prompted by backlash from investors, with U.S. equity and bond markets reacting sharply to the April announcement. Markets later rebounded following the pause, but the looming reimposition of steep levies is stirring fresh concerns among global investors about the potential impact on economic growth and inflation.
With the August 1 deadline fast approaching, Trump’s aggressive rhetoric and tariff threats suggest a hardening U.S. stance toward nations perceived to be distancing themselves from traditional Western economic frameworks — particularly those sympathetic to the evolving BRICS agenda.
