BRICS leaders to hold virtual meeting on Trump’s trade tariffs
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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will convene a virtual meeting of BRICS leaders next Monday to discuss US trade tariffs, according to people familiar with the matter.
Four sources confirmed the plan, while two Brazilian government officials said Lula aims to address not only the tariff hikes imposed by Washington but also to unite major emerging economies in support of multilateralism. The officials, who requested anonymity, noted that details of the call have not been formally announced, reported PTI.
The US has imposed different tariff rates on BRICS nations, making it difficult for them to agree on a joint statement, Brazilian officials said. They added that Lula does not want the meeting to become an anti-US summit.
Brazil was pulled into Donald Trump’s trade war in July after the US president threatened higher tariffs unless Brazil’s Supreme Court immediately stopped the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces coup attempt charges. Brazil now faces a 50% tariff, although Washington exempted hundreds of products, including airplanes and orange juice.
Bolsonaro’s trial begins Tuesday, and Brazilian officials expect Trump to escalate his attacks. The US has already revoked visas for Supreme Court justices and imposed sanctions on the judge overseeing the case.
The BRICS meeting comes after a weekend of high-level talks in Tianjin. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met there, while Russian President Vladimir Putin also held talks with Modi on Monday and will meet Xi in Beijing on Tuesday.
Modi’s past closeness to Trump had been seen as an obstacle to a stronger BRICS stance against tariffs during the July summit. But sources said Modi’s recent fallout with Trump could now open the way for a more substantive joint resolution.
Trump has also threatened further tariffs on BRICS nations in response to their efforts to expand trade in local currencies and reduce reliance on the US dollar.
