China opposes tariff wars, coercion after Trump’s threat to BRICS countries

Beijing: China on Monday responded to US President Donald Trump’s threat of imposing an additional 10 per cent tariff on countries supporting “anti-America” policies of BRICS nations, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning defending the bloc and reiterating Beijing’s opposition to tariff pressure.

“We believe that BRICS is a positive force in the international community. Its cooperation is open and inclusive, and not targeted at any particular country,” the spokesperson said.

“As for tariffs, we have consistently opposed tariff wars and trade wars. We are against using tariffs as a tool for coercion and pressure. Arbitrarily imposing tariffs does not serve the interests of any party,” she added.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said the United States would enforce an additional 10 percent tariff on “any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS” with “no exceptions,” although he did not specify which policies he was referring to. According to CNN, the announcement came as the administration prepared to send tariff letters to dozens of countries beginning Monday, ahead of a key July 9 deadline.

The BRICS group–comprising founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa–has long positioned itself as a collective seeking to redistribute global power to reflect present-day economic realities and promote a multipolar world order in contrast to a West-led system. The bloc recently expanded its membership to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, while maintaining partnerships with ten additional countries, including Belarus, Nigeria, Thailand, and Vietnam. It remains unclear whether Saudi Arabia has accepted an invitation to join the grouping.

The timing of Trump’s announcement coincides with the ongoing BRICS summit hosted by Brazil, where the member countries on Sunday issued a joint declaration expressing “serious concerns” about the “rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures,” a message widely seen as a veiled critique of the Trump administration’s trade policy, CNN reported.

While some BRICS nations, including India, have been in direct trade negotiations with the US, CNN noted that it remains uncertain whether Trump’s latest tariff warning will disrupt those talks or lead to further escalation in trade tensions.

Earlier this year, Trump warned of a possible “100% tariff” on what he termed “seemingly hostile” BRICS members if they supported the idea of a shared currency. The proposal–first introduced by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2023–has not been a central focus for the bloc, which instead continues to emphasize strengthening cross-border trade in local currencies.

Amid this backdrop, CNN reported that economists have cautioned that the Trump administration’s expansive tariff approach–particularly targeting Chinese imports–could result in higher costs for American consumers. Major retailers such as Walmart have already indicated they may be forced to raise prices, despite pushback from President Trump.