At first glance, US President Donald Trump’s renewed “America first” agenda seems aimed at the heart of the  BRICS bloc of developing nations.

With threats of punitive tariffs and direct provocations, Trump has positioned BRICS as a target in his second term. Yet rather than splitting the bloc apart, his aggressive policies are fortifying it.

Since returning to power, Trump has vowed to punish countries trying to  create an alternative to the US dollar, including a threat of  100% tariffs on those attempting to challenge the US currency. As last month’s BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro came to a close, he threatened to charge any country supporting the bloc’s “anti-American policies” an additional 10% tariff.

His threats are not having the intended effect. Instead, it is the US’ own relations with the BRICS members that have come under strain. The clearest example is India, a critical “swing state” within BRICS. Despite India’s strategic importance to Washington as a counterweight to China, Trump has repeatedly undermined trust between the two nations.

He invited Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal General Asim Munir to a  private lunch at the White House in June. More recently, after slapping a 25% tariff on Indian exports, Trump announced an

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