WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump issued a stern warning Thursday to the BRICS economic bloc, vowing severe tariffs and economic consequences if the coalition moves to replace the U.S. dollar in global trade.
In a fiery post on Truth Social, Trump made it clear that his administration will not tolerate any effort by BRICS—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—to challenge the dollar’s dominance. “The idea that the BRICS Countries are trying to move away from the Dollar, while we stand by and watch, is OVER,” Trump wrote.
The president declared that the U.S. would demand a commitment from these nations to abandon any plans for a new BRICS currency or the backing of an alternative reserve currency.
“We are going to require a commitment from these seemingly hostile Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar,” Trump stated. “Or, they will face 100% Tariffs and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy.”
He doubled down on his stance, issuing a blunt ultimatum to any country considering support for BRICS currency efforts. “They can go find another sucker Nation. There is no chance that BRICS will replace the U.S. Dollar in International Trade, or anywhere else, and any Country that tries should say hello to Tariffs, and goodbye to America!”
Trump has long favored tariffs as a geopolitical weapon, using them to pressure countries into compliance with U.S. trade and economic policies. Some analysts have described tariffs as his “weapon of choice on the global stage.”
The latest warning comes as Trump’s administration is internally debating its tariff policies, particularly regarding trade with Mexico and Canada. While the president continues to threaten sweeping tariffs, advisers are reportedly exploring ways to scale back universal tariffs on North American imports, suggesting a more targeted approach might be taken.
Despite Trump’s aggressive rhetoric, experts caution that an all-out trade war with BRICS nations—especially economic powerhouses like China and India—could disrupt global markets and backfire on American consumers by raising costs.
As BRICS nations explore avenues to reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar, Trump’s threat signals a hardline economic stance that could shape his second-term foreign policy. Whether his administration follows through on these tariff threats remains to be seen.