On Sunday (6), US President Donald Trump threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on “any country that aligns itself with the anti-American policies of the BRICS.” The statement was published on the social media app Truth Social, without detailing which countries would be affected or what he means by “anti-American policies”.
Despite the aggressive rhetoric, analysts say the new offensive could end up strengthening the bloc’s role as an alternative to the Washington-led neoliberal model.
For Marta Fernández, a researcher at the BRICS Policy Center, Trump’s threat could cause the opposite effect. “Ironically, it reinforces the role of BRICS as a relevant player in the international system. Now he’s not targeting a specific country, but an entire bloc,” she analyzes.
According to her, the Republican’s strategy is to “divide and rule” by trying to generate fear among countries that negotiate bilateral agreements with the United States. India, for example, is still trying to avoid unilateral tariffs announced in April, which could reach 50% in some sectors.
Marco Fernandes, a member of the BRICS People’s Council, believes that Trump’s statement should be viewed with caution, but not ignored. “The Trump method is erratic. He threatens, backtracks… We don’t know if we should take it seriously or not. But the mere fact of threatening is already a symptom of the empire’s desperation.”
For him, the threat also represents an indirect recognition of BRICS power as an alternative to the US-led system. “It’s still in its infancy, but the potential is there. That’s why the BRICS is being attacked.”
BRICS’ declaration avoids direct confrontation, but criticism of the US is clear
Trump’s statements were made a few hours after the release of the “Rio de Janeiro Declaration”, a document approved on the first day of the BRICS Summit, which ended on Monday (7) in Rio de Janeiro. The text avoids naming the United States directly, but explicitly criticizes protectionism, unilateral tariffs and the paralysis of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“It’s as if the US were there at the declaration, even without being named,” explains Fernández. “The central topics speak directly to Trump’s policy: Unilateral sanctions, protectionism, trade tariffs, the blocking of the WTO’s appellate body.”
The declaration also advocates the strengthening of multilateralism, the reform of global institutions and measures aimed at moving away from the US dollar. Among the proposals listed in the document, there are an alternative payment system and the increasing use of local currencies.
“The BRICS has sought alternatives to the US-dominated financial infrastructure, such as SWIFT,” adds Fernández. “Even with diplomatic caution, the bloc’s agenda is a move towards an international order less centered on US interests.”
Fernandes also points out that although the bloc’s leaders insist that the BRICS is “not anti-Western, just non-Western”, the opposite movement is coming from the Global North. “The West is increasingly against the BRICS,” he says.
According to him, at least three countries in the bloc are currently under direct attack: Russia and Iran, targeted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Israel, respectively, and China, targeted by sanctions and disinformation campaigns. “Even Brazil has been threatened, as in the case of the country’s Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, and South Africa has been the target of fake news about alleged persecution of whites.”
In response to Trump’s statements, China’s Foreign Ministry said “The use of tariffs serves no one”. Russia said that cooperation within the BRICS “has never been and will never be directed against third parties.” South Africa called the group a “movement for reformed multilateralism.”
