Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — U.S. President Donald Trump has doubled down on his threat to impose a 10% tariff on BRICS nations, warning that the growing economic bloc poses a challenge to American dominance. Trump emphasized he was “not joking” about the proposed tariffs.
“When I heard about this BRICS group, six countries, essentially, I pushed them very, very hard. And if they ever really come together in a significant way, it won’t last long,” Trump said, on Sunday (July 20), as reported by Reuters. “We cannot allow anyone to mess with us,” he added.
BRICS, originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded its membership in 2024 by adding Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Ethiopia, and Egypt.
Trump’s comments come amid his broader pledge to protect the U.S. dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency. He reiterated his opposition to the creation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the United States, calling it a threat to economic sovereignty.
On July 6, Trump first floated the idea of imposing a 10% tariff on BRICS countries, accusing the bloc of advancing anti-American policies. However, there is no concrete evidence that BRICS was formed to undermine the United States or diminish the global role of the dollar. Leaders of BRICS have repeatedly denied such claims.
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Brazil, which holds the rotating BRICS presidency this year, has stated it will not push for the creation of a unified BRICS currency. However, the bloc is continuing to develop BRICS Pay, a cross-border payment system that allows transactions in local currencies.
Despite his general criticism of the bloc, Trump has taken direct aim at Brazil, imposing a 50% import tariff on the country starting in August. He has also opened an investigation into what he described as unfair trade practices by Brazil.
Indonesia, one of the newest additions to BRICS, officially became a full member in January after previously holding observer or partner status. The announcement was made by Brazil, the current BRICS chair, on January 6. In a formal statement, the Brazilian government confirmed Indonesia’s accession as a full member of the economic alliance.
(Raidi/Agung)
