The first response to Trump's threats to BRICS

It is a response to US President Donald Trump's threat to introduce additional tariffs of 10 percent for the BRICS countries.

China's Foreign Ministry said earlier today that China opposes the use of tariffs as a means of coercion, responding to Trump's threats of additional 10 percent tariffs on countries joining BRICS.

"The introduction of additional tariffs does not benefit anyone," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press conference, Reuters reported.

Mao pointed out that BRICS focuses on openness and mutually beneficial cooperation, Global Times reported. She also emphasized that the BRICS mechanism is an important platform for cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries.

"When it comes to the introduction of tariffs, China has repeatedly reiterated its position that there are no winners in trade and customs wars and that protectionism leads nowhere," Mao said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that Moscow is following Trump's statements about the possibility of introducing additional tariffs of 10 percent to BRICS member countries.

Peskov told reporters that BRICS activities have never been and will never be directed against third countries.

Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social that countries that join the BRICS "anti-American policy" will be charged an additional 10 percent tariff. The BRICS group originally brought together leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China at its first summit in 2009. The bloc was later joined by South Africa, and last year by Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Malaysia was accepted as a BRICS partner country last October.