Trump threatens Nigeria with 10% Tariff for Supporting BRICS

The President of United States, Donald Trump has threatened fresh additional 10% tariff on Nigeria for aligning with the BRICS.

The US president made this pronuncement on Sunday via his Truth Social platform, creating concerns about global trade relationships.

The word BRICS was coined from the names of the pioneer nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, which came together under an informal grouping of emerging economies.

It also comprised six coalition members, such as Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates UAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia, which joined in 2024.

The group describes itself as “a political and diplomatic coordination forum for countries from the Global South and for coordination in the most diverse areas.”

Nigeria officially became the ninth partner country of BRICS on 17th January 2025, when Brazil announced the country’s formal admission.

“There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

The fresh threat comes as BRICS leaders at the just concluded summit in Brazil criticized the import tariffs, describing it as indiscriminate.

Recall that Trump had on April 2, announced a broad package of import duties, imposing a 10 per cent baseline tariff on 185 countries.

Which include Nigeria, while upping the duties for various partners whom he described as bad actors, thereby setting off trade war with its key trade partners, especially China.

Unveiling the tariffs, Trump said he could have gone higher by imposing higher tariffs to match what each country charges to US.

“The tariffs will be not a full reciprocal. I could have done that, yes, but it would have been tough for a lot of countries who didn’t want to do that,’’ he said.

He, however, offered three months’ reprieve to allow countries to negotiate, with only the United Kingdom and Vietnam now reaching a deal with the US, while Washington and Beijing agreed to temporarily lower staggeringly high levies on each other’s products.

Trump also warned that he would impose unilateral levies on partners unless they reached “deals” by August 1.

But voicing concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff measures, BRICS members, on Sunday, decried the imposition, warning that they were illegal, arbitrary and risked hurting the global economy.

Responding, Trump lashed out at the 11 nations of BRICS, vowing to impose an extra 10 per cent tariff on the bloc.

“Any country aligning themselves with the anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an additional 10 per cent tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Monday.

• President Tinubu reaffirms commitment to BRICS partnership

At the summit, Tinubu called for a reevaluation of the current global governance structure and the financial and healthcare systems, urging greater equity and inclusion for low-income and emerging economies, particularly in Africa.

The President stated that environmental degradation, the climate crisis, and healthcare inequalities should receive more attention, as they contribute to slowing growth and development.

President Tinubu, invited to the summit by Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, stated that Nigeria supports the BRICS position on the need to focus on collective, fair, and equitable global development, a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy quoted the President.

President Tinubu said, “Nigeria, therefore, associates with what I have heard today and all that has happened in BRICS. The next issues are financial restructuring and reevaluation of the global structure.”

He noted that environmental degradation, climate crisis, and global healthcare inequalities were shared concerns pertinent to Africa.

“Africa has contributed the least to global emissions but suffers the most,” he added.

President Tinubu emphasised the need for a new path of justice, anchored in fairness, sustainable technology transfer, and accessible financing, so that emerging economies can fully benefit from various initiatives.

“The African continent is creating the path through the African Carbon Market Initiative and the Great Green Wall. We believe that COP-30 will strengthen our resolve to adopt a strategic approach to achieving a healthy global environment.

“Nigeria strongly believes in South-South cooperation. We can, therefore, not be passive participants in global decision-making on financial restructuring, debt forgiveness, climate change, environmental issues, and healthcare