The Guardian, 8 July 2025
Nigeria at risk as US threatens extra 10% tariff on BRICS nations, slams 25% on Japan, S’Korea
• China says BRICS not seeking ‘confrontation’ after Trump’s threat
• AU counters Trump with AfCFTA trade proposal
United States President, Donald Trump, has warned that countries supporting BRICS policies that clash with U.S. interests will face an additional 10 per cent tariff.
He placed a 25 per cent tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, yesterday, citing persistent trade imbalances with the two crucial U.S. allies in Asia.
Leaders of the BRICS group kicked off a summit in Brazil on Sunday with President Bola Tinubu present among other nations in the group that Trump sees as an anti-U.S. coalition.
The original BRICS group gathered leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China at its first summit in 2009. The bloc later added South Africa and last year included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as members.
Tinubu, invited by Brazilian President Lula da Silva, voiced Nigeria’s support for BRICS’s push towards inclusive, just and collective global development, moves that may incur the wrath of Uncle Sam.
Nigeria became a BRICS partner country in January 2025, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan.
“Any country aligning itself with the anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an additional 10 per cent tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump wrote on social media.
Trump, who has long criticised the BRICS alliance, ramped up trade pressure as part of his economic strategy. He set July 9 as a deadline for countries to finalise trade agreements.
However, according to U.S. officials, tariffs will now kick in from August 1. Trump said he would begin sending letters to various countries, notifying them of the tariff rate they will face if no deal is reached.
Irrespective of Trump’s warning, Tinubu called for urgent reforms to global systems, urging greater inclusion and fairness for Africa and other emerging economies.
Speaking at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, he advocated fairer global financial and healthcare structures.
China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, said: “Regarding the imposition of tariffs, China has repeatedly stated its position that trade and tariff wars have no winners, and protectionism offers no way forward.”
Trump said he would send the first tariff letters to various countries yesterday, days before his deadline, for trading partners to reach a deal expires.
However, Beijing defended BRICS, yesterday, as “an important platform for cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries”. Mao added: “It advocates openness, inclusivity and win-win cooperation. It does not engage in camp confrontation and is not targeted at any country.”
Declaring an economic emergency to unilaterally impose the taxes, he suggested they are remedies for past trade deficits, though many US consumers have come to value autos, electronics and other goods from Japan and South Korea that he slammed with a 25 per cent tariff.
“If for any reason you decide to raise your tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25 per cent that we charge,” Trump wrote in the letters to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.
The move by the AU aims to counter recent US tariffs, visa bans and aid cuts that strained US-Africa relations. AU Commission Chair, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, emphasised the need for Africa to speak with one voice, rejecting unilateral trade penalties and travel restrictions.
Experts and trade leaders back the AU’s strategy, viewing it as a turning point in Africa’s integration and negotiation strength. AfCFTA Secretary-General, Wamkele Men, highlighted that AfCFTA, covering 54 nations and a $3.4 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is key to Africa’s transformation.
While some countries like Kenya and South Africa may face pressure to negotiate independently due to vital trade interests, the overall consensus is for unity under the AU’s umbrella.
America is set to host a US-Africa Summit later this year, while China has already offered African nations zero-tariff access. With the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) nearing expiry in September, the AU sees this moment as crucial to renegotiating fairer, continent-wide terms that support industrialisation and sustainable trade with the US.
Meanwhile, China said, yesterday, that BRICS, the grouping that also includes Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, was not seeking “confrontation” after Trump vowed to impose an extra 10 per cent tariff on countries aligning with the bloc.
However, the African Union (AU) is taking a united stand in response to Trump’s preference for bilateral trade, by preparing a consolidated trade proposal centred on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.