BRICS Slams Tariffs in Summit Dominated by Middle East Tensions/ Newslooks/ Washington/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ BRICS nations condemned rising tariffs but avoided directly criticizing President Trump. The summit highlighted divisions over Middle East conflicts and Russia’s war in Ukraine. Brazil sought a careful path to avoid provoking new U.S. trade tensions.
Quick Look
- BRICS condemns global tariff hikes, sidesteps direct Trump criticism
- Summit discusses Gaza crisis, calls for Middle East calm
- Brazil cautious to protect economy from potential U.S. tariffs
- Russia escapes condemnation despite ongoing Ukraine war
- Lula uses summit to push reforms, climate agenda
BRICS Blasts Rising Tariffs Amid Tensions Over Middle East Conflicts
Deep Look
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Leaders of the BRICS bloc of emerging nations condemned escalating global tariffs and the recent attacks on Iran during their summit in Brazil on Sunday. However, they carefully avoided naming U.S. President Donald Trump directly, even as tensions over Middle East conflicts loomed large over the gathering.
Their final declaration criticized Israel’s military actions but offered no rebuke to Russia and mentioned Ukraine only briefly.
China’s President Xi Jinping and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin were notably absent from the in-person proceedings. Xi skipped his first BRICS summit since becoming China’s leader in 2012, while Putin joined via video link, avoiding foreign travel due to the international arrest warrant related to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
In language seen as a veiled jab at the U.S., BRICS expressed “serious concerns” about tariff increases they say violate World Trade Organization rules. Such measures, they warned, risk choking global trade and disrupting supply chains.
Late Sunday, Trump fired back on social media, warning that any country aligning with what he called the “Anti-American policies of BRICS” would face an additional 10% tariff.
Iranian Voice Heard at Summit
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, who had planned to attend the summit but stayed away after recent attacks on Iranian soil, sent Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in his place. BRICS’ closing statement condemned those strikes without explicitly identifying either the U.S. or Israel as the perpetrators.
Speaking to fellow leaders, Araghchi demanded stronger global condemnation of Israel and insisted that both the U.S. and Israel should face accountability for human rights violations. He warned that the fallout from the conflict “will not be limited” to a single nation.
“The entire region and beyond will be damaged,” Araghchi said.
The BRICS statement voiced “grave concern” over Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, called for the release of all hostages, and reaffirmed support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet Iran signaled disagreement on this point. In a Telegram message, Araghchi said Iran submitted a note of reservation on the two-state plan, arguing it “has not worked in the past and will not work now.”
Separately, Russia’s foreign ministry issued a Telegram statement naming the U.S. and Israel, condemning what it called “unprovoked military strikes” against Iran.
Russia Escapes Criticism
While BRICS spoke out against violence in Gaza, its 31-page communique mentioned Ukraine only once — and then, only to condemn recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.
“We recall our national positions concerning the conflict in Ukraine as expressed in the appropriate fora, including the U.N. Security Council and the U.N. General Assembly,” the document said.
João Alfredo Nyegray, an expert in geopolitics at the Pontifical Catholic University in Paraná, said the summit fell short of demonstrating BRICS as a unified alternative to Western-led institutions.
“Withdrawals and doubts about representation from countries like Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE underscore how challenging it is for BRICS to establish itself as a cohesive pole of global leadership,” Nyegray said.
Brazil Treads Carefully Amid U.S. Pressure
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who hosted the summit, used his platform to criticize NATO’s plan to boost defense spending and pressed for reforms of Western-dominated global institutions. Nonetheless, Brazil sought to avoid antagonizing Trump’s administration directly, fearing economic repercussions.
Trump has previously threatened to impose tariffs of up to 100% on BRICS nations if they challenge the U.S. dollar’s dominance in global trade. During last year’s summit in Russia, the bloc discussed building alternative financial systems to sidestep Western sanctions on Moscow.
Ana Garcia, a professor at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, said Brazil has chosen to steer the summit toward less contentious issues such as internal trade relations and global health.
“Brazil wants to avoid attracting negative attention from the Trump administration that could put its economy at risk,” Garcia explained.
New Members, New Challenges
Founded by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, BRICS recently expanded to include Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. The bloc also now counts 10 “strategic partner” nations like Belarus, Cuba, and Vietnam.
This rapid growth has prompted Brazil to prioritize “institutional development” to ensure smoother integration of new members and enhance internal cooperation.
Despite the absence of key figures, the summit remains significant for emerging economies, especially amid uncertainty triggered by Trump’s trade wars, said Bruce Scheidl, a researcher with the University of São Paulo’s BRICS study group.
“The summit offers the best chance for emerging nations to seek alternatives and diversify their partnerships,” Scheidl noted.
Away from the formal meetings, the summit saw protests on Rio’s famous Ipanema beach, where a pro-Israel group displayed rainbow flags condemning Iran’s policies toward LGBTQ+ communities. Meanwhile, Amnesty International staged demonstrations against Brazil’s proposed offshore oil drilling near the Amazon River’s mouth.
For Lula, the summit provided a brief respite from domestic political struggles, which have dented his popularity and heightened friction with Congress. It also offered an opportunity to advance climate negotiations ahead of November’s COP30 talks in the Amazonian city of Belém.
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