U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that any country, including Nigeria, aligning with what he calls the “anti-American policies of BRICS” will face an additional 10 percent tariff on goods exported to the United States
“There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump stated in a post on Truth Social.
His declaration comes as the U.S. prepares to begin formally notifying affected nations of the new tariff policy, with official letters and trade offers expected to roll out on Monday.
Trump has been a vocal critic of BRICS — the economic bloc made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — which was established to boost the global influence of emerging economies and counterbalance Western dominance. In recent years, the group has expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE in 2024, with Indonesia joining in 2025 as its first Southeast Asian member.
In January, Nigeria was added as one of BRICS’ new “partner countries,” alongside Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. Nigeria has since continued lobbying for full membership.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has imposed several tariffs, including a 14 percent duty on Nigerian imports. He maintains that these economic measures are necessary to protect U.S. interests in a shifting global order.
Meanwhile, Brazil said BRICS foreign ministers had voiced “serious concern” over growing global economic fragmentation and the decline of multilateral cooperation, during their recent meeting in Rio de Janeiro. However, this sentiment was not issued as a joint BRICS statement, reflecting reported internal disagreements among the group.
Despite growing tensions, Trump has urged countries hit by the new tariffs to negotiate directly with the U.S. for possible relief. As letters roll out this week, he made it clear: “Take it or leave it.”
