President Donald Trump has announced that Nigeria will be among the countries facing an additional 10 percent tariff for aligning with what he described as the ‘anti-American policies’ of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa).
The U.S. president made the declaration on Sunday via a post on Truth Social, adding fresh uncertainty to global trade relations.
Trump’s announcement, which did not elaborate on any specific policy of BRICS, came as the group’s meeting is underway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Brazilian government, on January 17, 2025, announced the formal admission of Nigeria as a partner country of the grouping.
Nigeria became the ninth partner country of BRICS, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. This partner-country category was created during the 16th BRICS Summit held in Kazan in October 2024.
The bloc’s leaders appeared to take aim at Trump’s sweeping tariff policies in a joint statement on Sunday, warning against “unjustified unilateral protectionist measures, including the indiscriminate increase of reciprocal tariffs.
Without calling out the U.S., the leaders voiced “serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules,” warning that the “proliferation of trade-restrictive actions” threatens to disrupt the global economy and worsen the existing economic disparities.
“Any Country aligning itself with the anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Sunday evening, stateside.
