BRICS Nations Slam U.S. Tariffs, Sidestep Mention of Trump

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - BRICS leaders, meeting at a summit on Sunday, collectively condemned the "indiscriminate" tariffs imposed on imports by U.S. President Donald Trump, as reported by Arab News.

In a clear, albeit indirect, criticism of the United States, the group's declaration voiced "serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariffs". They asserted these measures were "inconsistent with WTO (World Trade Organization) rules" and warned that such tariffs "threaten to reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty."

Meanwhile, Trump took to his social media platforms late Sunday, stating that any country aligning itself with what he termed "the Anti-American policies of BRICS" would face additional tariffs of 10 percent.

The 11 developing countries comprising BRICS—including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—collectively account for roughly half the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output. While the bloc often faces internal divisions, its members found common ground in their stance against what they perceive as volatile U.S. leadership and its intermittent tariff disputes, though they refrained from naming either directly.

The joint statement from the summit highlighted "serious concerns about the emergence of unilateral tariff measures," with BRICS members emphasizing that these tariffs risked harming the global economy.

They also offered symbolic support to fellow member Iran, condemning a series of military strikes on nuclear and other targets carried out by Israel and the United States.

In April, Trump had threatened allies and rivals with punitive tariffs, only to offer a month-long reprieve in response to a sharp market sell-off. He has now warned that he will impose unilateral taxes on trade partners unless a "deal" is reached by August 1.

Notably, the summit declaration avoided directly criticizing the United States or its president, a likely nod to existing U.S. allies within the bloc.

Established two decades ago as a forum for rapidly growing economies, BRICS has increasingly been seen as a China-driven counterweight to the influence of the United States and Western Europe. However, as the group expanded to include nations like Iran and Saudi Arabia, it has struggled to achieve meaningful consensus on issues ranging from the Gaza war to the broader challenge of U.S. global dominance.

For instance, while the BRICS nations have collectively called for a peaceful two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this stands in contrast to Tehran's long-held stance that Israel must be destroyed. An Iranian diplomatic source confirmed that his government's "objections" had been conveyed to the Brazilian host, though Iran did not outright reject the statement.

Xi Jinping and Putin Absent

The political impact of this year’s summit was somewhat diminished by the absence of China’s Xi Jinping, who did not attend the meeting, a first in his 12 years as president.

The Chinese leader was not the only absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin, facing an indictment for war crimes in Ukraine, also chose not to attend in person, participating instead via video link. He used his virtual address to inform his counterparts that BRICS had become a key player in global governance.

The summit also addressed the need for regulation of artificial intelligence, stressing that this technology could not be left solely to wealthy nations. While the commercial AI sector is currently dominated by U.S. tech giants, China and other countries are rapidly expanding their own capabilities in this field.

Editor's Choice: Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim Says BRICS Can Shape Fairer World Order

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