In a pointed warning ahead of the BRICS 2025 Rio summit in Brazil, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened an additional 10% tariff on nations perceived to be aligning with BRICS’ so-called “anti-American policies.” The threat comes as the bloc intensifies its call for reforms at global institutions like the IMF and UN Security Council.
Despite Trump’s remarks, BRICS nations – especially the newer members – have publicly rejected the anti-American label, arguing instead for balanced multilateralism and a new global economic order no longer dominated by the West.
Brazil’s President Lula da Silva, hosting the 2025 BRICS summit in Rio, tersely rebuked Trump’s rhetoric during a press Q&A:
“The world has changed. We don’t want an emperor.”
He added that BRICS is about “finding another way of organising the world from the economic perspective” and noted,
“I think that’s why the BRICS are making people uncomfortable.”
Lula also emphasized a shift away from dollar-centric trade:
“The world needs to find a way that our trade relations don’t have to pass through the dollar.”
#BRICS | The BRICS 2024 Summit Resolves to Establish of an Alternative International Payment System Based on National Currencies
The de-dollarization initiative is probably the most concrete proposal likely to emerge from the summit.https://t.co/we8YfpJ3zI pic.twitter.com/9wZkwP0yHs
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) October 25, 2024
He clarified this must be done ‘carefully,’ via gradual discussions between central banks.
Lula’s remarks are noteworthy because:
He criticized Trump’s threats as irresponsible and undignified, likening them to the behavior of an emperor.
He emphasized BRICS’ aim to economic diversification, not anti-American confrontation.
He reiterated the bloc’s ambition to reduce dependency on the U.S. dollar through careful, multilateral coordination.
BRICS 10 members and 10 partners make up 44% of the GDP in terms of PPP.
IMF data confirms that USD share of global reserves fell to its lowest level since record started being kept in 1995#dedollarization
BRICS | BRICS Countries Now Use National Currencies for 65% of Mutual Trade Settlements in 2024, IMF Data Reveals – https://t.co/IByrJckbrO
— David Lee (@DavidLe76335983) December 27, 2024
U.S. Sanctions and Their Ripple Effect in Africa
This latest U.S. warning follows a pattern of sanctions and financial restrictions targeting countries viewed as geopolitical threats. BitKE has previously reported how such policies have:
Pushed African countries to explore alternative financial systems like CBDCs and blockchain rails
Driven up demand for BRICS-led payment systems such as the proposed common settlement framework using local currencies
Encouraged African crypto innovation outside the reach of Western-led financial intermediaries
A classic example of this was in 2024 where U.S. sanctions on Ethiopia during the Tigray conflict accelerated digital financial infrastructure investments by China and Russia.
BRICS | Over 40 Nations, Predominantly from the Global South, Indicate Interest to Join the BRICS Bloc
One of the reasons countries are interested in joining the bloc is a push for a Global South collective voice in international forums such as the World Bank and the… pic.twitter.com/n01TUq2xSB
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) September 3, 2024
Why Africa Matters in BRICS
The inclusion of South Africa (2010), Egypt, and Ethiopia (2024) reflects the bloc’s ambition to anchor a multipolar global economy in the Global South. Africa’s role is particularly strategic due to:
Rapid digital and fintech growth
Resource wealth and trade corridors
A young, tech-savvy population shaping decentralized economies
As of July 2025, the African countries that are members of BRICS are:
South Africa (joined in 2010)
Egypt (joined in 2024 as part of the BRICS+ expansion)
Ethiopia (joined in 2024 alongside Egypt)
These three nations represent Africa’s voice within the BRICS+ bloc, which now includes 10 members globally. Their participation reflects Africa’s growing strategic and economic importance in shaping a multipolar world.
BRICS | We Want an Alternative Financial System to Support African Development https://t.co/XQgXEkAXid
— Violet Ikahu | HUDL (@IkahuGmail) July 30, 2024
Here are the African countries that have formally applied to join BRICS (either as full members or partner countries):
Applied for Full Membership
Algeria – Submitted application in 2022; later withdrew in September 2024
Egypt – Formally applied in 2023; subsequently admitted as a full member in January 2024 .
Ethiopia – Applied in June 2023; joined full membership in January 2024
Nigeria – Became a BRICS “partner country” in January 2025
Senegal – One of several African nations that formally submitted membership applications
BRICS | Nigeria Joins BRICS as the 9th Partner State
With the inclusion of the partner states, BRICS now encompasses 10 of the 20 most populous countries in the world with #Nigeria joining the list.https://t.co/jBCSwiz9hi pic.twitter.com/cUjDY9i6DJ
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) January 20, 2025
These African states have expressed interest or applied informally, indicating growing engagement with the bloc:
Angola
Cameroon
Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Gabon
Guinea‑Bissau
Zambia
South Sudan
Uganda
BRICS | Uganda Becomes the First Country in East Africa to Join #BRICS
Combined, the nine BRICS members and the additional nine BRICS partners account for over 41% of the global GDP, measured in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP).https://t.co/7DveNOD73i @BRICSinfo pic.twitter.com/up5vY1vsSR
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) January 6, 2025
As reported by BitKE in early 2025, Kenya apparently sought China’s help to join the BRICS bloc in November 2024.
[TECH] BRICS | Kenya Reportedly Sought China’s Help to Join the BRICS Bloc in November 2024: Kenyan President, William Ruto, reportedly made an appeal toChina to support Kenyas quest for membership in the .. https://t.co/PxB0SekUe6 via @BitcoinKE
— Top Kenyan Blogs (@Blogs_Kenya) January 14, 2025
Stay tuned to BitKE for deeper insights into the evolving Kenyan and African regulatory crypto space.
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