BRICS Nations Reject Trump Tariff Threats Assert Economic Independence

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva strongly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of additional tariffs on member countries during the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro. Lula’s remarks came as leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa gathered to discuss global trade and economic cooperation. The summit concluded with a clear message from the BRICS nations that they intend to chart their own course in global trade, independent of U.S. economic dominance.

Trump’s warning, issued late on Sunday, threatened retaliatory tariffs against any nation whose policies are deemed hostile to American interests. This threat was met with a firm response from Lula, who declared, “The world has changed. We don’t want an emperor.” He emphasized that the BRICS bloc represents countries pursuing a different approach to the global economic order, one that seeks to find alternative ways of organizing the world from an economic perspective.

Lula’s comments were echoed by other BRICS leaders. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that the bloc does not aim to single out any particular power and expressed confidence in the possibility of a trade agreement between the U.S. and South Africa. Beijing’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stressed that tariffs should not be used as tools for coercion and pressure, highlighting that the BRICS framework promotes mutually beneficial collaboration.

A Kremlin spokesperson also supported this view, stating that Russia’s cooperation with BRICS is based on a shared global outlook and will never be directed against third countries. India remained silent on Trump’s threat, while Indonesia’s coordinating minister for economic affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, was scheduled to fly to Washington to discuss U.S. tariffs. Malaysia, which joined as a partner after its 24% tariffs were removed, maintained that it has independent economic policies and does not align itself on ideological grounds.

The BRICS summit positioned itself as a forum for multilateral diplomacy amid rising trade conflicts and regional tensions. In a combined statement, summit leaders condemned the recent bombing of Iran and warned that growing tariff barriers threaten the stability of world trade, a veiled critique of U.S. policy. The BRICS nations first came together in 2009 and have since expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with Saudi Arabia accepting an invitation to full membership.

Lula also called for a gradual shift away from the dollar in trade settlements, suggesting that any change must be coordinated through discussions among central banks until new arrangements are solidified. This call for reducing dependence on the dollar in trade was part of a broader effort by BRICS nations to assert their economic independence and challenge the traditional global economic order.