Without citing US President, the bloc expressed, in a joint statement, ‘serious concern’ with unilateral tariff measures that ‘distort the trade’
The leaders of resume their summit in This Monday (7), after Threaten to impose an additional 10% rate on countries that “align” with the group, which he considers “anti -American.” Although without mentioning the US president, the bloc formed by countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa expressed in a joint statement on Sunday the “serious concern” with unilateral tariff measures that “distort trade.”
The position was announced after the United States announced that they will apply rates from August 1 to the business partners with which they have not reached agreements, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Trump also stated that he signed more than 10 letters to inform countries about tariff increases.
The BRICS statement, issued on the first day of the meeting in Rio, with notable absences such as Chinese President Xi Jinping, provoked a reaction from the Republican President. “Any country that alienates the BRICS anti -American policies will be charged with an additional 10%tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” he wrote on his social Truth platform.
The group, seen as a counterweight to the power of the United States and Western Europe, has recently been expanded to 11 countries and represents almost half of the world’s population and almost 40% of GDP.
China asks to calm the spirits
BRICS has not yet commented on Trump’s threats, but China did it through a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Regarding the imposition of tariffs, China has repeatedly declared its position that commercial and tariff wars have no winners and that protectionism is not the way forward,” said spokesman Mao Ning.
However, the group “does not seek confrontation between the parties and does not refer to any country,” he added. The United States are in negotiations with various countries to reach trade agreements that avoid tariffs. The country agreed with a temporary truce with China to reduce three -digit tariffs that both countries have adopted reciprocally.
So far, only the UK and Vietnam have managed to seal a trade agreement with the United States. In addition to the Chinese president, the remarkable absences at Rio’s summit were the Iranian President, Massoud Pezeshkian, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the target of an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. The Saudi delegation, in turn, did not attend Sunday plenary sessions and should join the meetings on Monday, according to a source of the Brazilian government.
AI AND CLIMATE CHANGE
On the first day of the summit under the Brazilian presidency, the BRICS also asked for an “immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire” and a “complete withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip”. BRICS also condemned the June “military attacks” by Israel and the United States against Iran, a member of the bloc, without mentioning the names of both countries.
The group issued a specific statement about Artificial Intelligence (IA), in which it “firmly supports the right of all countries to enjoy” its benefits and “establish their own regulatory structures” for this technology.
BRICS will disclose statements on climate change and health cooperation on Monday. Since 2023, BRICS has expanded to include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran, who joined the group founded in 2009 to strengthen the global south.
*With information from AFP
