In a dramatic escalation of U.S. trade policy, President Donald Trump has announced sweeping new tariffs targeting countries he accuses of aligning with the growing BRICS alliance — including Nigeria.
The new directive imposes an additional 10% levy on imports from nations seen as “backing anti-American policies,” Trump declared early Monday in a statement posted on his Truth Social platform.
“There will be no exceptions to this policy,” he warned, calling the move “non-negotiable” and aimed at preserving U.S. economic supremacy.
The decision marks a clear rebuke to the expanding influence of BRICS, an economic bloc originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, but which has rapidly welcomed new members like Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, and most recently, Indonesia.
Nigeria, though not yet a full member, joined BRICS as a partner country earlier this year and is actively campaigning for full membership. Other new partners include Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan — all of which are expected to be affected by the new tariffs.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has doubled down on aggressive trade protectionism. One of his early moves was a 14% tariff on Nigerian exports. The latest 10% hike adds further pressure on the West African nation, which is still navigating a fragile post-COVID economic recovery.
“These tariffs are about putting America first — again,” Trump said, urging affected nations to negotiate bilateral trade deals on U.S. terms. “They can take it or leave it,” he added.
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Brazilian officials at the ongoing BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in Rio de Janeiro voiced “serious concern” over rising global economic polarization. However, the statement was delivered by Brazil alone, underlining growing divisions within the bloc over how to respond to the U.S. challenge.
Critics have warned that Trump’s strategy may backfire, isolating the United States and accelerating the BRICS push for a new global financial order. But the White House insists the move is necessary to “protect American industries, jobs, and sovereignty.”
Meanwhile, Nigerian trade officials have yet to issue a formal response, but economic analysts in Lagos described the new tariffs as a major blow to Nigerian exporters already struggling under inflation and currency instability.
“This could harm Nigeria’s trade ambitions within the Global South and complicate its ongoing BRICS accession,” said one expert. “But it also signals the stakes of choosing between U.S. influence and the emerging multipolar order.”
The global trade landscape appears poised for further turbulence as Washington and BRICS nations brace for what could be a defining standoff of this new economic era.