US President Donald Trump has warned that countries aligning with BRICS’ «anti-American agenda» will face a 10% tariff, raising concerns for Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Both countries obtained official BRICS partner status on January 1, 2025.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated there would be «no exceptions» to the new tariff policy. The announcement comes months after he threatened to introduce 100% tariffs on BRICS states if they attempted to replace the US dollar in global trade. At the time, Russian officials said no such discussion had taken place within the group.
Uzbekistan currently holds observer status in BRICS, along with Belarus, Kazakhstan and Cuba. At the Kazan summit in October 2024, 13 countries, including Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, were granted formal BRICS partnership. Russian authorities confirmed the change in December.
Analysts warn that the lack of clear criteria in Trump’s message could lead to wider trade pressure. While the two Central Asian nations are not full BRICS members, their alignment with the group may affect exports to the United States. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan supply key commodities including uranium, textiles and rare earth metals to American markets.
The warning adds to broader tensions between BRICS and the United States. During the current summit in Rio de Janeiro, BRICS countries criticised US tariff policy and condemned Washington’s military strikes on Iran. Earlier this year, Trump dismissed BRICS as «dead,» noting the US has tools to halt trade with countries in the bloc.
