Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has responded strongly to recent threats by former U.S. President Donald Trump to impose further tariffs on BRICS countries.
Speaking at the end of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, Lula was keen to stress a new world order. "The world has changed. We don't want an emperor," he said to reporters.
Lula depicted BRICS as an alliance that aimed to reform the international economic order. "I think that's why the BRICS are causing people discomfort," he said.
His remarks were a response to Trump's latest action in his ongoing trade war, which now comprises higher tariffs on 14 countries. According to letters posted on Trump's Truth Social platform, the tariffs are imposed on several nations at rates including 25% for South Korea and Japan, 40% for Myanmar and Laos, 30% for South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 25% for Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Tunisia, 32% for Indonesia, and 35% and 36% respectively for Bangladesh, Serbia, Cambodia, and Thailand.
In spite of the combative tone, Reuters cited the current U.S. administration as having no near-term plans to slap a uniform 10% tariff on all members of the BRICS group. But the authorities have indicated that they might take action if any country adopts policies that are seen to be "anti-American."
Earlier this year, Trump threatened BRICS members that they would face tariffs of up to 100% if they challenged the supremacy of the U.S. dollar in global trade. Countering this fear, Lula contended that the world economy requires alternatives. "The world needs to find a way that our trade relations don't have to pass through the dollar," he said. "Evidently, we have to be careful about doing that in a responsible way. Our central banks need to consult with other countries' central banks. That's done progressively until it's amassed."
While Lula was strong on his words, other BRICS leaders were more measured in their responses. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa underlined the non-confrontational nature of the group, assuring that BRICS is not seeking to compete with other world powers and expressing the hope of a future trade pact with the United States.
China also had its say. Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, "Tariffs should not be used as a tool for coercion and pressuring." She stressed that BRICS believes in "win-win cooperation" and does not want to isolate or target any country.
The Kremlin also confirmed something similar. Russian government's spokesperson said that the nation's part in BRICS is based on a "common world view" and is "never directed against third countries."
India has not yet made an official statement about the U.S. threats. Some of the BRICS countries have significant economic relations with Washington. Indonesia, which is a recent addition to the BRICS, has already started taking a stand on the issue. Its senior economic minister, Airlangga Hartarto, who was present at the summit, went to the U.S. on Monday for talks centered around tariffs.
While Western blocs such as G7 and G20 are internally fractured and America is following its "America First" agenda, BRICS is turning out to be a platform for multipolar conversation with rising tensions in the sphere of geopolitics and trade.
Established in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, the BRICS framework added South Africa in 2010. It added Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates as members last year. Saudi Arabia, not yet an official member, is a participating partner. Over 30 nations have indicated they would like to align with BRICS as a full member or strategic partner.
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