The governments of South Africa and Russia have stressed that their involvement in the BRICS group is not intended to undermine the interests of any country, including the United States. Their remarks come in response to threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to impose an additional 10% tariff on BRICS member states.
The comments were made during the BRICS summit held in Brazil, where the group’s leaders condemned unilateral trade policies, warning that such approaches threaten the global economic order.
Speaking to Reuters, South African Trade Ministry spokesman Kamel Ali said, “We are not anti-American,” noting that trade negotiations with Washington have been ongoing since President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the White House in May.
“The talks have been constructive, and we await official communication from the U.S. side,” he added.
The Kremlin also rejected any suggestion of hostility, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that BRICS cooperation is based on “shared interests and not directed against any third party.”
China, for its part, expressed its opposition to the use of tariffs as a political pressure tool, describing the practice as “dangerous and counterproductive.”
