The eleven BRICS countries have sharply criticized the "arbitrary" tariffs imposed by the US administration under President Donald Trump. In a joint statement adopted on Sunday, participants at a summit in Brazil expressed "serious concerns" about the increase in unilateral tariffs and other measures "that distort trade and are inconsistent with the rules of the World Trade Organization."
The BRICS countries account for around half of the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output. The alliance, which has included Iran since 2023, also condemned the "military attacks" against Iran in its statement. They also called for an "immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip and the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the coastal strip and "all other parts of the occupied Palestinian territories."
In his opening speech, Brazilian President and summit host Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva lamented an "unprecedented collapse of multilateralism." He also reiterated his accusation against Israel of committing "genocide" in the Gaza Strip.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is subject to an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), was not present in Rio de Janeiro. He participated via video link. For the first time, Chinese President Xi Jinping also stayed away from a BRICS summit. China is the largest economy in the BRICS group.
The alliance was founded to reduce the geopolitical dominance of the United States and Europe and create a multipolar world order. In addition to the eponymous countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the group has since 2023 included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. This expansion has made the group of states considerably more heterogeneous, making it difficult to agree on common positions.
Following criticism of his trade policy from the BRICS countries, Trump threatened to impose additional surcharges on any country that aligns itself with the alliance's anti-American policies. "Any country that aligns itself with the BRICS' anti-American policies will be subject to an additional 10 percent surcharge. There will be no exceptions," he wrote in another post on Truth Social.
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