Donald Trump’s next trade strike drops soon: 7 nations first, full list to follow

The United States will begin naming seven countries targeted for new trade penalties on Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced, amid rising tensions with BRICS-aligned nations and a broader push to defend the U.S. dollar.

In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “We will be releasing a minimum of 7 Countries having to do with trade, tomorrow morning, with an additional number of Countries being released in the afternoon.”

The move is part of a wider tariff strategy set to take effect on August 1, as Trump intensifies pressure on countries he says are working to weaken the dollar. Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, Trump directly linked the effort to the BRICS bloc.

“They will certainly have to pay 10% if they are in BRICS, because BRICS was set up to hurt us, to degenerate our dollar,” he said.

The BRICS group—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and others—accounts for nearly 40% of global GDP. Trump accused the bloc of trying to sideline the U.S. dollar in global trade, calling it “a hostile formation.”

The White House has already sent formal tariff letters to 14 countries, according to Trump, with no exemptions—including for India, a key U.S. trade partner. “They are members of BRICS, they can pay 10% tariff,” he said.

Emphasizing urgency, Trump stated: “All money will be due and payable starting AUGUST 1, 2025—No extensions will be granted.”

Still, he left room for maneuver: “If they call up and say we would like to do something in a different way, we will be open to that,” he added.

The administration is pushing bilateral trade deals in place of multilateral frameworks. Trump said his team is “close” to finalizing one with India, possibly during his upcoming visit this fall.

Reinforcing his economic stance, Trump declared, “The dollar is king. We’re gonna keep it that way.” He claimed his second term would outperform the first in tariff collections and financial growth.

The first batch of countries will be named Wednesday morning, with more expected later in the day.