The global trading system is pretty much in a state of limbo as businesses delay decisions on investments, contracts and hiring because they don’t know what the rules will be.

Its new deal with Vietnam and its fresh tariff threats issued to many other countries seem designed to reduce China’s role in their supply chain. Countries that had hoped to stay out of the new cold war now fear they are being forced to pick a side. To appease the world’s biggest market, they must anger the world’s biggest trader.

The president’s statement comes as the trading bloc including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa is meeting in Rio de Janeiro this week. President Donald Trump is threatening to add an additional 10% tariff on countries that align with the so-called “anti-American policies of BRICS,

Trump, who raised the tariff threat on Sunday, said in a Tuesday cabinet meeting at the White House that the duty was on the way: "Anybody that's in BRICS is getting a 10% charge pretty soon ... If they're a member of BRICS,

Trump issued the threat Sunday night as the U.S. prepared to finalize dozens of trade deals with a variety of countries.”