Washington DC [US], January 21 (ANI): US President Donald Trump reiterated his threat towards the BRICS nations on Monday (local time), stating that countries that are part of this organisation would face 100 per cent tariffs on trade with the US if they continue their de-dollarization efforts.
Speaking to the media during his signing ceremony at the Oval Office, President Trump said, “As a BRICS nation… they’ll have a 100 per cent tariff if they so much as even think about doing what they thought, and therefore they’ll give it up immediately,” referring to the reduction in the use of the dollar in global trade.
Trump added that his statement should not be seen as a threat but rather as a clear stance on the issue.
The President also referenced comments made by former US President Joe Biden, suggesting that Biden had indicated the US was in a vulnerable position on this matter, to which Trump disagreed, asserting that the US has the leverage over the BRICS nations and that they would not be able to proceed with their plans.
“If the BRICS nations want to do that, that’s OK, but we’re going to put at least a 100 per cent tariff on the business they do with the United States… It’s not even a threat. In fact, since I made that statement, Biden said, they have us over a barrel. I said, No, we have them over a barrel. And there’s no way they’re going to be able to do that,” Trump added.
Trump, earlier before being sworn as the 47th President of the US, had threatened BRICS countries over the imposition of 100 per cent tariffs on all imports from those countries, should they dare to launch their currency.
BRICS nations were already working on reducing dollar dominance in the global financial system by replacing it with a new global currency.
During the plenary session of the 15th BRICS Summit via videoconferencing in 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for de-dollarization, stressing that BRICS countries must expand settlements in national currencies and enhance cooperation between banks.
In June 2024, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BRICS countries met in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod and called for enhanced use of local currencies in bilateral and multilateral trades and financial transactions between the member countries. (ANI)
Donald Trump signs executive order to withdraw US from Paris Climate Accord
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Treaty — just as he did in his first term. It’s among a slew of executive actions he signed in front of thousands of supporters at Capitol One Arena.
However, the Trump administration’s move against the 2015 Paris accord in 2017 was reversed by Joe Biden on his first day in office in 2021.
Paris Agreement is an international agreement to combat climate change, and nearly 200 countries have committed to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius and ideally below 1.5 degrees. Each country is responsible for developing its own plan to uphold the commitment. However, the agreement is not a legally binding treaty.
Trump also signed a directive to the Federal Government ordering the restoration of Freedom of Speech and preventing government censorship of free speech going forward, adding that he signed a directive to the Federal Government ending the weaponisation of government against political adversaries of the previous administration.
He further, signed more Executive Actions in the Oval Office and took questions from the press.
US President Trump issues executive order to withdraw from WHO
US President Donald Trump, in a major shocker, cut the Unites States’ ties with the global health agency, World Health Organisation (WHO), as he issued an executive order of withdrawing from the organisation on Monday (local time).
According to the order, the withdrawal was due to the organisation mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and other global health crises.
Trump, who had long been critical of the WHO, had earlier also formally withdrawn the US from the WHO back in July 2020 as the COVID-19 continued to spread.”The United States noticed its withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2020 due to the organisation’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states,” the order read. Additionally, Trump stated that the WHO continues to demand payments from the US that are disproportionate to those required from other countries, criticising the financial demands, stating that the payments required of the US are significantly higher than those of other nations.
“In addition, the WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payments. China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 percent less to the WHO,” the order further read.
While addressing the media in the Oval Office following his swearing-in ceremony, Trump stated that the US had paid USD 500 million to the WHO, while China, with a population of 1.4 billion, contributed USD 39 million, noting that it was unfair, leading to this decision. “We paid 500 million dollars to the World Health Organisation when I was here and I terminated it. China, with 1.4 billion people, was paying 39 million. We were paying 500 million. It seemed a little unfair to me,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trump also addressed the US-TikTok deal, mentioning that if China did not approve the deal, the US could impose tariffs on China. “If China didn’t approve it (the US-TikTok deal), we could put tariffs on China. Don’t forget. China charges us tariffs and we charge them very little except for what I did–I put a lot in, and we took in hundreds and billions of dollars.
But until I came along, China never paid 10 cents to this country. They ripped us off and they never paid anything. If we wanted to make a deal with TikTok and it was a good deal, and China wouldn’t approve it, then I think ultimately they’d approve it because we would put tariffs on China. I am not saying I would but you certainly could do that,” the US President added. (ANI)
US: President Trump grants pardons, commutations to individuals convicted in Jan 6 Capitol Riot case
Just a few hours after being sworn in as the 47th President of the US, Donald Trump on Monday (local time) granted pardons and commutations to the convicts charged in relation to the events that occurred at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, according to a statement from the White House.
According to the statement, 14 individuals were granted commutation of sentences related to events of January 6, 2021 and granted “a full, complete and unconditional pardon” to all other individuals convicted of the offences on that day.
“Commute the sentences of the following individuals convicted of offences related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, to time served as of January 20, 2025: Stewart Rhodes, Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Thomas Caldwell, Jessica Watkins, Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, David Moerschel, Joseph Hackett, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Dominic Pezzola, Jeremy Bertino,” the statement read.
“Grant a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offences related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,” it added.
According to CNN, the US President said that approximately 1500 individuals were granted pardons in the case.
“Approximately 1,500 for a pardon – full pardon.” Trump said at the Oval Office, as quoted by CNN.
Notably, the 14 individuals who were granted commutations were charged or convicted with seditious conspiracy and were far-right extremists, CNN reported. They were also part of an organisation called the “Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.”
Meanwhile, the White House statement further stated that the attorney general will administer and effectuate the immediate issuance of certificates of pardon for the individuals who were granted the full pardon and were immediately released from prison. (ANI)
