Brics nations resist ‘anti-American’ label after Trump tariff threat
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Leaders of the Brics group pose for the family photo during the Brics Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 7.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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RIO DE JANEIRO - Developing nations participating in the Brics summit on July 7 brushed away an accusation from US President Donald Trump that the bloc is “anti-American,” as he threatened them with additional 10 per cent tariffs
Mr Trump’s threat on the night of July 6 came as the US government prepared to finalise dozens of trade deals with a range of countries before his July 9 deadline for the imposition of significant “retaliatory tariffs.”
"Tariffs should not be used as a tool for coercion and pressuring," Ms Mao Ning, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in Beijing. The Brics advocates for "win-win cooperation," she added, and "does not target any country."
South Africa, which was slapped with 30 per cent tariffs that were later suspended pending trade talks, reaffirmed that it is "not anti-American," trade ministry spokesman Kaamil Alli said, adding that talks with the US government "remain constructive and fruitful."
A Kremlin spokesman said Russia's cooperation with the Brics was based on a "common world view" and "will never be directed against third countries."
India and Brazil, which is hosting the Brics gathering, did not immediately provide an official response to Mr Trump.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told reporters that he would only comment after wrapping up the summit. His opening remarks to Brics leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro on July 7 focused on the environmental and public health issues on the summit's official agenda.
A Brazilian diplomat who was not authorized to comment officially said Mr Trump's threat underscored the importance of the Brics group to give developing nations a way to argue for fair and effective global ground rules on topics such as trade.
Many Brics members and many of the group's partner nations are highly dependent on trade with the United States.
New member Indonesia's senior economic minister, Airlangga Hartarto, who is in Brazil for the Brics summit, is scheduled to go to the US on July 7 to oversee tariff talks, an official told Reuters.
Malaysia, which was attending as a partner country and was slapped with 24 per cent tariffs that were later suspended, said that it maintains independent economic policies and is not focused on ideological alignment.
Multilateral diplomacy
With forums such as the G-7 and G-20 groups of major economies hamstrung by divisions and Mr Trump’s disruptive “America First” approach, the Brics group has presented itself as a haven for multilateral diplomacy amid violent conflicts and trade wars.
In a joint statement released on July 6 afternoon, leaders at the summit condemned the recent bombing of member nation Iran and warned that the rise in tariffs threatened global trade, continuing its veiled criticism of Mr Trump's tariff policies.
Hours later, Mr Trump warned he would punish countries seeking to join the group.
The original Brics group gathered leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China at its first summit in 2009. The bloc later added South Africa and last year included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates as members.
Saudi Arabia has held off formally accepting an invitation to full membership, but is participating as a partner country. More than 30 nations have expressed interest in participating in the Brics, either as full members or partners. REUTERS
