Donald Trump Labels BRICS ‘Dead’ Amid Threats of Trade War With Bloc Nations
- Donald Trump revisited his promise to declare a trade war if BRICS nations moved forward with an anti-US dollar stance
- The United States President warned the bloc to desist from their plans to form a currency to challenge the greenback
- Trump compared the loss of the dollar's global reserve status to America, the world's leading economy, losing a war
Source: Getty Images
Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist at Briefly News. A Head of Current Affairs, Mametela reported live from the presidential inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa and has written articles on politics, crime, courts, accidents and other topics, including sports, at The Herald and Opera News SA, among others.
WASHINGTON — An ominous dare has been thrown at BRICS nations, including South Africa, by a belligerent US President, Donald Trump.
It comes amid de-dollarisation discussions within the bloc to create an alternative currency to challenge the US dollar's dominance.
Trump escalates trade war threats
Responding to the perceived plans, Trump called the intergovernmental organisation "dead" and cautioned BRICS against the move.
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However, Trump did not mince his words, declaring that if this transpired, the US would impose 100% tariffs on BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
The bloc has since evolved to BRICS+, comprising 10 nations after the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, and his stance signals strong opposition to efforts to reduce global trade reliance on the dollar.
Speaking to the media, Trump, in a video posted on the @BRICSInfo X page, reiterated:
"BRICS was put there for a bad purpose. And most of them [bloc nations] don't want to talk about it now; they're afraid to. I told them [the US would] hit them with a 100% tariff if they want to play games with the dollar ... they'll come back and say, 'We beg you not to do this.'
"Since I mentioned that, BRICS has been dead. It died the minute I mentioned that. I remember when Obama and Biden, in particular, said, 'Oh, they have us over a barrel.' They don't have us over a barrel; we have them over a barrel."
Trump made similar threats during his reelection campaign for the US presidency. He proclaimed that the BRICS would be subjected to import taxes if the bloc continued to push for global trade to be settled outside of the greenback.
He emphasised the importance of keeping the US dollar as the world’s currency, likening the loss of its global reserve status to America losing a war.
AfriForum tags Ramaphosa a liar
In related news, Briefly News reported that AfriForum Chief Executive Kallie Kriel added his two cents to the raging conversation gripping South Africa.
Bringing it into sharp focus has been the United States' response to the events playing out — a response the lobby group thrust its weight behind.
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Source: Briefly News
