BRICS set to meet over Trump trade policies
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL: Senior diplomats from BRICS countries are set to meet on Monday in Brazil to present a united front against threats arising from US President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies.
The meeting comes at a critical juncture for the global economy, following the International Monetary Fund's decision this week to slash growth forecasts due to the impact of the American leader's sweeping new tariffs.
Diplomats from the trading bloc, which includes current president Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, will convene for two days in Rio de Janeiro as a precursor to a leaders' summit in July.
"The ministers are negotiating a declaration aimed at reaffirming the centrality and importance of the multilateral trading system," Brazil's BRICS representative, Mauricio Lyrio, told reporters on Saturday.
The group has expanded significantly since its inception in 2009 and now includes Iran, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. It represents nearly half of the global population and 39% of global GDP.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has imposed a blanket 10% tariff on dozens of countries, with China facing levies of up to 145% on many products. Beijing has retaliated with duties of 125% on US goods.
Trump has also threatened to impose 100% tariffs on BRICS countries if they undermine the US dollar.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira will host the meeting, which will be attended by Russia's Sergei Lavrov and China's Wang Yi, among others.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at around 11:00 am (1400 GMT), with a statement expected in the afternoon.
Climate change is expected to feature prominently on the agenda ahead of the United Nations COP30 climate summit in November, which will be hosted by Brazil in the Amazonian city of Belem.
The group is also likely to discuss the war in Ukraine, as Trump seeks to push Russia and Ukraine towards a peace agreement.
On Tuesday, April 8, the BRICS will be joined for discussions by nine other "partner" countries, including several former Soviet states, as well as Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Nigeria.
By RSS/AFP
