The brics countries—led by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—are working to reduce their reliance on the United States dollar. Supported by Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, these countries ultimately want to dethrone the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency.

But U.S. President Donald Trump is fighting back, threatening an additional 10 percent tariff on countries aligned with brics policies.

“Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of brics, will be charged an additional 10 percent tariff,” President Trump posted on Truth Social on June 6. “There will be no exceptions to this policy.”

The brics bloc criticized rising tariffs in its latest summit declaration signed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Yet brics opposition to U.S. tariffs is motivated by the desire to keep America dependent on Asian imports. These nations want to reduce their reliance on the U.S. dollar while still selling goods to America in a bid to dominate the world economy.

President Trump is right to be concerned by the threat posed by the brics alliance. These countries comprise 28 percent of the entire world economy. The U.S. comprises only 26 percent of the world economy, so the brics alliance technically is a bigger economy than the U.S. (though it is a loose economic confederation).

The brics nations have cut their dollar usage by two thirds in the past 16 years and want to cut it even further. This de-dollarization trend would pose a serious threat to the dollar’s reserve currency status if it spreads to Europe.

The European Union comprises 18 percent of the world economy. brics combined with the EU would form an economic bloc roughly twice the size of the United States. Such a bloc could easily dethrone the U.S. dollar as the reserve currency

German politician Ralph Niemeyer has called on his nation to join the brics alliance, and Bible prophecy indicates that economic ties between Europe and Asia will grow much stronger.

In his book Isaiah’s End-Time Vision, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry explains Bible prophecies about how the world economy will be dominated by three power blocs in the end time: Tyre, Tarshish and Kittim. Tyre, he explains, represents the commercial center of the modern-day European Union; Tarshish represents modern-day Japan; Kittim represents modern-day China. Isaiah 23:1-3 say the merchants of Tarshish will mourn when Tyre is overthrown.

This prophecy shows Japan and China will be in a close economic partnership with a European superstate.

Other Bible prophecies, such as Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, show the nations of Israel (the U.S. and Britain) will be besieged in their gates until their “high and fenced walls come down” (Deuteronomy 28:52). The Isaiah 23 “mart of nations” is an anti-American alliance, so it would have no interest in trading in dollars.

This means the process of international trade that the dollar currently provides will be replaced. Right now, the brics alliance is actively looking for ways to replace the dollar. The prophetic tipping point, however, will come after Europe decides to break its alliance with the U.S. and join the brics powers in a siege against America.

Learn more: Read “Building Toward a World Catastrophe,” by Gerald Flurry.