By Andrea Shalal and Ricardo Brito

WASHINGTON/BRASILIA (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the U.S. would “pretty soon” impose a 10% tariff on imports from BRICS countries, eliciting another complaint from Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who recently hosted the bloc’s annual summit.

Trump raised the tariff threat on Sunday and stated during a cabinet meeting at the White House: “Anybody that’s in BRICS is getting a 10% charge pretty soon… If they’re a member of BRICS, they’re going to have to pay a 10% tariff… and they won’t be a member long.”

The BRICS group expanded last year to include countries like Iran and Indonesia, alongside Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Leaders at the summit in Rio de Janeiro voiced indirect criticism of U.S. military and trade policies.

In response to Trump’s tariff threat, Lula expressed to journalists at the BRICS summit on Monday that the world does not want an emperor. Following a state visit from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lula reiterated his disagreement on Tuesday:

“We will not accept any complaints about the BRICS summit. We do not agree with the U.S. president insinuating he’s going to put tariffs on BRICS countries,” he stated in Brasilia.

Trump did not specify when the BRICS tariff would take effect. On Monday, a source familiar with the issue indicated that the Trump administration would implement the tariff only if countries adopted anti-American policies, distinguishing actions from mere statements made by the BRICS leaders.

Trump asserted without evidence that the group was established to undermine the United States and the dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency. He stated, “BRICS was set up to degenerate our dollar and take our dollar… take it off as the standard. And that’s okay if they want to play that game, but I can play that game too.”

He added that losing the dollar’s role as the world’s reserve currency would equate to “losing a war, a major world war. We would not be the same country any longer.”

In February, Brazil abandoned plans for a common currency agenda during its presidency year.