Washington DC (US), October 15: US President Donald Trump has described the BRICS alliance as “an attack on the dollar,” warning that countries joining the bloc could face American tariffs. He emphasised that nations trading in dollars enjoy a clear advantage over those moving away from it.
Speaking during a bilateral lunch with Argentine President Javier Milei at the White House, Trump reiterated his firm stance on defending the US currency.
“I’m very strong on the dollar. Anyone who wants to trade in dollars has an advantage over those who don’t,” he said. “I told countries wanting to join BRICS—go ahead, but we’ll impose tariffs on your products entering the US. After that, everyone started backing out. They’re all dropping out of BRICS.”
Trump went on to claim that the grouping, which he views as anti-US, no longer poses a challenge. “BRICS was meant to attack the dollar, but once we made our position clear, they stopped talking about it,” he said.
BRICS, originally founded by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, now includes South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia, bringing its total membership to ten.
Trump has previously criticised BRICS as a coalition opposing US interests. “It’s basically a group of nations that are anti-United States—and India being part of it is surprising. We won’t allow anyone to undermine the dollar,” he had said earlier.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently clarified India’s neutral stance, asserting that New Delhi has no plans to challenge the global role of the dollar.
“We are realistic about the dollar’s importance,” Jaishankar stated. “Our relationship with the US is strong, and we have no interest in undermining the dollar.”
