Leaders from BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, along with new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) are expected to criticize Donald Trump’s trade policies at a summit in Rio de Janeiro. The emerging nations, representing a significant portion of the world’s population and economic output, view the U.S. import tariffs as unfair.
Since taking office in January, Trump has imposed tariffs on both allies and rivals, prompting the BRICS nations to draft a statement condemning the resulting economic uncertainty. While the statement is unlikely to explicitly name the United States or its president, it is intended as a clear message to Washington.
Marta Fernandez, director of the BRICS Policy Center at Rio’s Pontifical Catholic University, anticipates a cautious tone, noting the difficulty in directly mentioning the United States in the final declaration. This is particularly relevant for China, which has recently negotiated with the U.S. to reduce tit-for-tat levies.
The summit’s political impact may be lessened due to the absence of key leaders. Chinese President Xi Jinping is skipping the annual meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president. Chinese Premier Li Qiang will be attending the summit in his place. The Kremlin has also announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending in person but will participate via video link.
The BRICS countries are reportedly divided on how to address the conflicts in Gaza and between Iran and Israel. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian is also not attending the meeting. Artificial intelligence and health are also set to be discussed at the summit.
The theme for the summit is “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.” Brazil is focusing on key topics including global health cooperation, trade, investment and finance, climate change, artificial intelligence governance, multilateral peace and security architecture, and institutional development.
