U.S. President Donald Trump has once again taken a hardline stance against the BRICS alliance countries. During a meeting with Argentine Prime Minister Javier Milei at the White House, Trump said that BRICS is essentially “an organization against the U.S. dollar.” Therefore, he emphasized, imposing tariffs on those countries is necessary.
In the meeting, Trump praised Milei’s efforts to reform Argentina’s economy but simultaneously issued a warning to BRICS member states. According to Trump, “I am firmly in favor of the dollar. Those who trade with the dollar will be rewarded, but those who join BRICS will face tariffs. BRICS is fundamentally an attack on the dollar.”
Currently, the BRICS alliance includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates joined the group, followed by Indonesia in 2025.
Trump has long claimed that BRICS is an anti-American coalition. He previously warned that countries joining “BRICS Plus” would face an additional 10% tariff. In a social media post last July, he wrote, “Any country that aligns itself with anti-U.S. policies like BRICS will face an additional 10% tax — no exceptions.”