Donald Trump warns BRICS with 10% tariff threat: ‘Don’t play games with America, I’ll hit hard’

President Donald Trump doubled down on his hardline stance against BRICS, vowing to impose a 10% tariff on any nation aligning with the group’s “anti-American policies” and declaring he had already “hit them very, very hard.”

At a press event in Washington, Trump reiterated his July 6 announcement, targeting countries involved in the BRICS bloc — now expanded beyond Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa to include Iran and Indonesia. Without naming specific nations, Trump warned that if the group ever solidified, “it will end very quickly,” underscoring his administration’s refusal to tolerate what he sees as threats to U.S. economic dominance.

“We can never let anyone play games with us,” Trump said, adding that he remains committed to defending the U.S. dollar’s role as the world’s reserve currency and will block any attempts to introduce a central bank digital currency in America.

The BRICS group has denied being anti-American, positioning itself as a platform for multilateral diplomacy, particularly as global forums like the G7 and G20 struggle with internal divisions and Trump’s "America First" agenda. While Brazil shelved efforts for a common BRICS currency earlier this year, the bloc is pressing forward with BRICS Pay — a cross-border payment initiative using local currencies.

Trump, however, sees the group’s moves as hostile. He has accused BRICS of plotting to undermine the dollar, though he has offered no evidence. The latest tariff threat follows a broader pattern of escalating trade pressure, including a separate 50% tariff on Brazilian imports starting in August and a U.S. investigation into Brazil’s “unfair” trading practices.

At the recent BRICS summit in Brazil, leaders issued veiled critiques of U.S. military and trade policy, further fueling tensions. Trump’s aggressive posture suggests he views BRICS not just as an economic alliance, but as a geopolitical challenge to American supremacy.

As BRICS expands its footprint and the U.S. hardens its stance, global trade dynamics could shift — with tariffs, currency clout, and cross-border payments becoming the latest battleground in the emerging contest between Washington and the multipolar ambitions of the BRICS bloc.