President Trump on Wednesday said he would be sending letters to over 150 countries as he plans a barrage of duties to take effect Aug. 1, including levies on pharmaceutical imports and semiconductors.

The White House concluded that non-tariff methods for punishing Brazil would take too long, two people familiar with the situation said.

Round 2 of Donald Trump vs the BRICS bloc began this week after the United States President announced an additional 10 per cent tariff on countries aligning with the group's "Anti-American policies".

President Trump is reportedly pushing for higher blanket tariffs on imports from the European Union, throwing a wrench in negotiations ahead of an Aug. 1 deadline for sweeping duties to take effect. The Financial Times reported that Trump wants a minimum of a 15% to 20% tariff on EU goods as part of any deal.

As the world frays under trade wars, resource conflicts and the US credibility unravels under the weight of its own aggressive exceptionalism, BRICS declared that the emperor has no clothes and the Global South was done waiting for crumbs from imperial banquet tables.