‘BRICS is dead’: Trump reiterates 100% tariff threat if it goes against US dollar

WASHINGTON D.C. : US President Donald Trump on February 13 said BRICS is dead and reiterated his threat to impose 100 percent tariff on the bloc if they try to replace the US dollar with any other currency. Trump said BRICS was created for a bad purpose and most people don’t want it. While addressing a press briefing , he said that US will not trade with BRICS nations if they want to “play games” and even if any trading is done, it will be conducted at a 100 percent tariff.

“If BRICS wants to play games, those countries won’t trade with us. We won’t trade with them and if any trading gets through it’ll be a 100 per cent tariff at least,” Trump said. Earlier in January, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on BRICS nations if they try to introduce alternative currency to the US Dollar.

Speaking at the briefing, he said, “The day they mention that they want to do it and they will come back and say we beg you, we beg you not to do this. BRICS is dead since I mentioned that. BRICS died the minute I mentioned that and I know I remember when Obama and Biden, in particular, I guess he said that oh, they have us over a barrel.”

He further added, “They don’t have us over a barrel. We have them over a barrel.”

BRICS, formed in 2009, is the only major international group of which the United States is not a part. Its members include India, Russia, China, Brazil, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Over the past few years, some of the member countries, Russia and China in particular, are seeking an alternative to the dollar or create own BRICS currency. India has, so far, not been part of the move.