Trump’s Tariff War: Will BRICS Nations Unite? Here’s What We Know So Far

Trump’s Tariff War Pushes BRICS Towards Potential United Front.

US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian and Indian goods has triggered an unusual wave of diplomatic activity among BRICS members, fuelling speculation about a coordinated response.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has publicly called for the bloc to craft a joint strategy against what he described as “unilateral” US actions. While no BRICS leader has officially endorsed the proposal, a flurry of high-level phone calls in the past 48 hours hints at behind-the-scenes discussions.

On Thursday, Lula spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about tariffs and global economic headwinds. The same day, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa discussed “issues of mutual interest” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Friday, Putin separately spoke with both China’s Xi Jinping and Modi. The three leaders are expected to meet Xi later this month at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, which could serve as a platform for tariff talks.

Tariffs by the Numbers

• Brazil – 50% US tariffs
• India – 50% US tariffs
• China – 30% US tariffs
• South Africa – 30% US tariffs

Russia – ~20% tariffs after MFN status revoked, with threat of more sanctions

Trump has accused BRICS of being “anti-US” and attempting to undermine the dollar.

“It is an attack on the dollar, and we are not going to let anybody attack the dollar,” he said.

What is BRICS?
Formed in 2006 as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and expanded to include South Africa in 2010, BRICS is a geopolitical and economic coalition representing 40% of the global population and about 25% of global GDP. The group positions itself as an alternative to Western-led economic institutions such as the G7.

With tariffs escalating and diplomatic channels heating up, the coming weeks may reveal whether BRICS is ready to shift from loose coordination to a united economic front against Washington.