US President Donald Trump has claimed that his threat of tariffs forced several nations to rethink their participation in BRICS, the economic bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Speaking at the White House during a meeting with Argentinian President Javier Milei, Trump said, “I told anybody who wants to be in BRICS, that’s fine, but we’re going to put tariffs on your nation. Everybody dropped out. BRICS was an attack on the dollar.”
Trump framed the bloc’s expansion and alternative trade initiatives as a direct challenge to US financial dominance, adding that countries abandoned their plans after facing potential tariffs on goods entering the United States.
The president also highlighted that his tariff strategy was aimed at protecting the US dollar and maintaining American economic leverage globally. He has specifically imposed higher tariffs on BRICS nations, including India, and described the bloc as "anti the United States." Trump even warned of a 10% additional tariff on any country aligning with BRICS policies.
India Maintains a Measured Approach
India has sought to avoid confrontation with the US. In March 2025, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stated, “Regarding the role of the dollar, we are realistic. We have no issue with the dollar. We have no interest in undermining the dollar.”
However, relations have grown tense following Trump’s tariffs on Indian exports due to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
BRICS Expansion
Originally comprising five members, BRICS expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, followed by Indonesia in 2025, demonstrating its intent to become a major alternative economic bloc.
Trump’s remarks underscore ongoing global debates over trade policies, dollar dominance, and international economic alignments, with the US leveraging tariffs as a foreign policy tool to counter BRICS’ growing influence.
