Nigeria, July 13 -- President Donald Trump never ceases to amaze with his haughty and self-aggrandising style of governance, endless huffing and puffing, brinkmanship, and tendency to weaponise America's often-stated exceptionalism and unilateralism.

Last weekend, as member states of the fledgling association of the Global South and a growing economic bloc, otherwise called BRICS, were holding their 17th Summit in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, Trump threatened to impose a fresh tariff hike on them, labelling the group a gang-up against America.

He warned that any country aligned with the policies of the BRICS alliance that diverge from US interests, would be hit with an extra 10 per cent tariff. "Any country aligning itself with...