Trump Declares BRICS Alliance Dissolved After Tariff Threats Over Dollar Concerns
Washington, DC – February 21, 2025 – U.S. President Donald Trump recently asserted that the BRICS coalition, a group of 10 nations including India, has disintegrated following his warnings of steep tariffs aimed at protecting the dominance of the U.S. dollar. The president claims that his threats of imposing tariffs as high as 150% on countries attempting to undermine the dollar’s global position have effectively silenced the bloc.
The BRICS organization, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, has been viewed by some as a potential challenger to Western economic influence. In recent years, discussions within the group about reducing reliance on the U.S. dollar and exploring alternative currencies have drawn attention—and criticism—from Trump.
According to Trump, the BRICS nations abandoned their plans after he made it clear that any move to destabilize the dollar would result in severe trade penalties. “They were talking about a new currency, but I told them they’d face massive tariffs if they tried it. Since then, it’s been quiet—I don’t think they’re a thing anymore,” he reportedly said during a recent address.
The tariff threats began earlier this year when Trump warned of 100% import duties on BRICS countries if they pursued an alternative to the dollar. On February 13, he escalated the rhetoric, raising the figure to 150% and emphasizing that the U.S. would not engage in trade with nations that “play games” with its currency. Even before taking office, Trump had signaled a hardline stance, promising significant economic consequences for any BRICS efforts to launch a rival currency.
The idea of “de-dollarisation” has been a topic among BRICS leaders in the past. At the 2023 BRICS Summit, calls were made to increase the use of national currencies for trade and strengthen financial ties between member states’ banking systems, a move seen as a step away from dollar dependency.
For now, Trump’s comments suggest he believes his tariff strategy has neutralized the bloc’s ambitions. Whether the BRICS alliance has truly faltered or is simply recalibrating remains unclear, but the U.S. president appears confident that his economic warnings have shifted the global conversation—at least for the moment.
Pen Today Media will continue to monitor developments in international trade and currency dynamics as they unfold.
