US President Donald Trump has once again accused the BRICS bloc and its members of undermining the strength of the US dollar. During a meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said the United States would impose new tariffs on countries choosing to work alongside BRICS.
“I’m very strong on the dollar, and anybody who wants to deal in dollars has an advantage over people who aren’t. Anybody that wants to be in BRICS, that’s fine, but we’re going to put tariffs on your nation,” Trump told reporters, adding that BRICS was “an attack on the dollar.”
Trump’s full remarks on tariffs and BRICS
Speaking alongside Milei, Trump said that the tariff warning had already made several countries reconsider their association with the bloc. “Everybody dropped out. They’re all dropping out of BRICS. BRICS was an attack on the dollar, and I said, You want to play that game, I’m going to put tariffs on all of your products coming into the US. They said, like I said, we’re dropping out of BRICS… They don’t even talk about it anymore,” he said. Trump added that his administration is determined to defend the dollar’s global position and warned that his government would continue to act against any alliance seen as threatening it. Trump called the organisation “anti-United States” and warned that any nation adopting BRICS policies could face additional tariffs.
.@POTUS: "I'm very strong on the dollar, and anybody that wants to deal in dollars, they have an advantage over people that aren't… anybody that wants to be in BRICS, that's fine, but we're going to put tariffs on your nation… BRICS was an attack on the dollar." pic.twitter.com/sabNzG4Ou5
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 14, 2025
He also called out China’s recent move to buy soybeans from Argentina instead of the US, calling it an attempt to damage Washington’s relationship with Buenos Aires.
BRICS originally included countries like Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and has expanded. In 2024, the bloc welcomed Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, followed by Indonesia in 2025.“China likes to draw wedges. I guess that’s natural, but it’s not going to mean anything in the end,” he said.
‘BRICS is fading out fast’
Back in July, Trump said on social media: “Any country aligning themselves with the anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an additional 10% tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy.” India, China, and Russia are currently the countries most affected.
Speaking at a White House event, Trump accused BRICS of trying to undermine the global role of the dollar. “We have this little group called BRICS, which is fading out fast. They wanted to try and take over the dollar, the dominance of the dollar and the standard of the dollar,” he said.
Meanwhile, while BRICS members have discussed increasing local currency use in trade, they remain divided on the idea of reducing reliance on the US dollar. India clarified its position on July 17. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Cross-border payments, yes, BRICS have talked about local currencies, but de-dollarisation is not something that is there on the agenda.”
This is not the first time Trump has made such a threat. In 2024, he warned of 100% tariffs on BRICS nations if they moved forward with plans to launch a rival global currency.