Agency report
US President Donald Trump has warned that countries which side with the policies of the Brics alliance that go against US interests will be hit with an extra 10% tariff.
Nigeria is likely to be among the countries to be hit by the fresh trade tariff should president Trump go ahead with his threat
Trump has long criticised BRICS, an organisation whose members include China, Russia and India.
The US had set a 9 July deadline for countries to agree to a trade deal, but US officials now say tariffs will begin on 1 August. Trump said he would send letters to countries telling them what the tariff rate will be if an agreement is not reached.
“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,” Trump wrote on social media.
On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expected “a busy couple of days”.
“We’ve had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers, a lot of new proposals,” he told CNBC.
So far, the US has only struck trade agreements with the UK and Vietnam, as well as a partial deal with China.
Although Britain and America have still not reached a deal over taxes for UK steel imported by the US.
Nigeria was formally admitted as the ninth BRICS partner country in January 2025, a status introduced at the 16th BRICS Summit in October 2024.
President Bola Tinubu arrived in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday for the 17th summit of BRICS countries.
President Tinubu is attending the summit at the invitation of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, on the strength of Nigeria’s status as a ‘partner country’ — a membership category short of full status.
As a partner country, Nigeria can participate in BRICS meetings, summits, and initiatives, contributing to discussions and official documents.
The partner status is an upgrade from its previous guest status, which the country had enjoyed over the years.
