فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
On Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, leaders of the BRICS countries expressed their “serious concerns” over unilateral tariffs that distort global trade, amid escalating tensions caused by the trade war initiated by former U.S. President Donald Trump—although they did not mention him by name in the joint statement released on the first day of the summit.
The statement emphasized that “the increase in unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures negatively affects global trade,” warning that such actions “undermine prospects for global economic development.” The two-day summit brings together 11 major emerging economies—including Brazil, China, India, Russia, and South Africa—on the shores of Guanabara Bay under tight security, amid threats of high U.S. tariffs.
Representing nearly half of the world’s population and 40% of global GDP, BRICS leaders refrained from naming the United States or Donald Trump, as negotiations continue between Washington and several countries, notably China, over these tariffs.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Sunday that, absent an agreement with Washington in the coming days, tariffs of up to 50% would take effect on August 1. The broad tariffs announced in April were temporarily suspended by the U.S. to allow negotiations with trade partners.
Collapse of Multilateralism
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva opened the summit with a grim assessment of international cooperation, warning of an “unprecedented collapse of multilateralism.”
The summit was also marked by the absence of key leaders, notably Chinese President Xi Jinping, who for the first time since taking power in 2012 did not attend, despite China being the dominant power in the group. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is subject to an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, also did not attend in person but participated via video link, praising BRICS and stating that “the unipolar system in international relations is now a thing of the past.”
Iran and Gaza on the Agenda
The Middle East situation was a prominent topic of discussion. In his opening remarks, Lula called on the world to not “remain indifferent to the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Gaza,” a statement that previously sparked diplomatic tensions between Brazil and Israel.
The BRICS joint declaration called for an “immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire” and the “complete withdrawal” of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, where they are engaged in conflict with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas were set to begin in Doha on Sunday to seek a truce agreement in Gaza and the release of hostages.
BRICS also “condemned the military attacks” against Iran in June, denouncing them as a “violation of international law,” without naming the United States or Israel, who led the 12-day confrontation with Tehran.
Expansion and Coordination Challenges
Founded to rebalance the global order in favor of the “Global South” against the West, BRICS has expanded since 2023 to include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Iran, and Indonesia.
However, this expansion has increased the group’s diversity, complicating the formulation of unified positions. Negotiators struggled in recent days to finalize a joint declaration, particularly regarding Iran, where Iranian representatives succeeded in adopting a somewhat firmer tone than in a previous June 24 statement that expressed “deep concern” but stopped short of formal condemnation.
In addition to the joint declaration, BRICS plans to issue documents on artificial intelligence, health cooperation, and climate issues—a topic of particular importance to Brazil, which will host the UN Climate Conference (COP30) in November in the Amazonian city of Belém.
