Senior diplomats from BRICS nations will gather in Brazil on Monday to present a united front in response to the economic challenges posed by US President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies.
The meeting comes at a pivotal time for the global economy, following the International Monetary Fund’s recent revision of global growth forecasts due to the impact of Trump’s new tariffs.
The two-day meeting in Rio de Janeiro will serve as a precursor to a leaders’ summit scheduled for July. Diplomats from the BRICS bloc, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, will work on a declaration aimed at reaffirming the importance of multilateral trade systems.
The group, which was founded in 2009, has expanded to include Iran, Egypt, and the UAE. Together, these countries represent nearly half of the global population and account for 39% of the world’s GDP.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has imposed blanket 10% tariffs on a wide range of countries, with China facing tariffs of up to 145% on many products.
In retaliation, China has imposed its own tariffs, reaching up to 125% on US goods. Trump has also threatened to introduce 100% tariffs on BRICS countries if they undermine the US dollar.
Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, will host the meeting, which will also be attended by Russia’s Sergei Lavrov and China’s Wang Yi, among others. The discussions are set to begin at 16:00 (SA time), with a statement expected later in the day.
Climate change will be a major topic on the agenda, especially in light of the upcoming COP30 climate summit in November, which Brazil will host in the Amazonian city of Belem.
The BRICS group is also expected to address the ongoing war in Ukraine, with Trump aiming to push both Russia and Ukraine towards a peace agreement.
On Tuesday, the BRICS will be joined by nine other “partner” countries, including several former Soviet states, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Nigeria, to continue discussions.
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