- Trump warned BRICS nations against developing a U.S. dollar alternative, threatening 100% tariffs.
- The warning coincides with potential new tariffs on Canada and Mexico, showing a broad trade strategy.
- BRICS expansion, including new members in 2025, increases the bloc’s economic influence and potential to challenge the dollar.
President Donald Trump has taken a firm stance against BRICS nations’ potential efforts to create an alternative to the U.S. dollar. He also threatened severe economic consequences for countries attempting to shift away from dollar dominance in international trade. This declaration comes at a time when the expanded BRICS alliance has been exploring ways to reduce dependency on the U.S. dollar in global commerce.
Trump’s message, delivered through Truth Social, outlined a clear ultimatum: BRICS nations must either commit to not creating or supporting an alternative currency or face 100% tariffs on their exports to the United States. This aggressive position shows Trump’s broader economic nationalism and his administration’s willingness to use America’s market access as leverage in international relations.
Source: Truth Social
The timing of this warning carries particular weight, as it coincides with pending decisions about imposing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting February 1. These North American trade tensions center on different issues – primarily drug trafficking and immigration control – but show Trump’s readiness to use tariffs as a policy tool across multiple fronts.
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To understand the full implications of this stance, it’s worth examining BRICS’ evolution. The group, originally conceived by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill in 2001, began as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) before adding South Africa in 2010. The alliance has recently undergone expansion, welcoming Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates in 2023, with Indonesia joining in early 2025. This growth has increased the bloc’s economic influence and potential to challenge traditional financial structures.
The BRICS coalition was established in 2009 as an informal platform to challenge Western economic dominance. Their discussions about creating an alternative currency system arose from a desire to reduce exposure to U.S. dollar fluctuations and potential sanctions. However, Trump’s warning suggests such moves would trigger immediate and substantial economic repercussions.
