Earth Science News
TRADE WARS
BRICS blast 'resurgence of protectionism' in Trump era
BRICS blast 'resurgence of protectionism' in Trump era
By Thomas MORFIN
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (AFP) April 29, 2025

China, Brazil and other members of the BRICS grouping on Tuesday slammed the "resurgence of trade protectionism" at a meeting in Rio de Janeiro dominated by US President Donald Trump's tariffs blitz.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov were among the top diplomats of the 11-country grouping attending two days of talks on issues ranging from Trump's trade war to the push for peace in Ukraine.

Mauro Vieira, the foreign minister of Brazil which holds the rotating BRICS presidency, said the bloc underscored its "firm rejection" of protectionism, without explicitly referring to Trump.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has hit dozens of countries with a blanket 10 percent tariff, but China faces levies of up to 145 percent on many products.

Beijing has responded with duties of 125 percent on US goods.

BRICS, which was founded by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009 and now also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, has become a major counterweight to Western-led groups such as the G7.

It now makes up nearly half of the world's population, and 39 percent of global GDP.

The meeting in Rio came at a critical moment for the world economy after the International Monetary Fund slashed growth forecasts over the impact of Trump's sweeping levies on imports.

The ministers did not issue a joint statement.

Brazil instead settled for a declaration summarizing the discussions.

Vieira said there was "absolute consensus" on the subject of "trade conflicts and tariffs."

- DDD -

Some BRICS members have avoided Trump's trade fury.

Brazilian exports to the United States are subject to 10 percent tariffs, a fraction of those imposed on China.

And while Latin America's biggest economy has been hit by Trump's tariffs on steel imports -- Brazil is the second-biggest supplier of steel to the US -- President Luiz Inacio Lula's government has declined to retaliate and sought to negotiate with Washington instead.

Brazil has however made no secret of its frustration with European Union regulations on some of its agricultural exports, imposed over Amazon deforestation.

Vieira hit out Tuesday at the use of "non-tariff" trade barriers, deployed under "environmental pretexts."

The group trod more carefully on the issue of non-dollar transactions among BRICS members.

At a summit last year in Russia, BRICS leaders discussed boosting such transactions, eliciting a swift rebuke from Trump who threatened them with 100 percent tariffs if they undercut the US currency.

Brazil said the ministers this week had "underlined the importance of greater use of local currencies."

- Climate ambitions in jeopardy -

"Multilateralism" and "cooperation" were the watchwords of the meeting, which also discussed the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

The BRICS ministers called for a "complete withdrawal" of Israeli forces from Gaza, terming Israel's more than 50-day aid blockade of the territory "unacceptable."

They had less to say about the war in Ukraine, which is at a critical juncture, with Washington threatening to end its efforts to broker peace in the absence of a breakthrough.

As in the past, Russia's BRICS partners stopped short of condemning Moscow's invasion of its neighbor, while calling for a "lasting peace deal."

The growing global polarization is of particular concern to Brazil as it prepares to host the annual, often fractious UN climate conference in November in the Amazon.

On Tuesday, Brazil warned that the international "fragmentation" was jeopardizing global "climate action ambitions."

Related Links
Global Trade News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TRADE WARS
China says 'no phone call' recently between Xi and Trump
Beijing (AFP) April 28, 2025
Beijing on Monday insisted that "no phone call" took place recently between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart, after Donald Trump said he had spoken with the Chinese leader. The world's two biggest economies are locked in an escalating tit-for-tat trade battle triggered by Trump's levies on Chinese goods, which have reached 145 percent on many products. In an interview conducted on April 22 with TIME Magazine and published Friday, Trump insisted Chinese leader Xi called him despite Bei ... read more

TRADE WARS
Second Fukushima debris removal trial complete

Thailand to test disaster alerts after quake criticism

Myanmar extends earthquake truce as rebels prepare to hand key city back to junta

60,000 Myanmar students must retake exams burned in quake blaze

TRADE WARS
NASA develops flight-ready aerogel antennas for next-gen airspace communications

British Steel abandons job cut plans after govt rescue

Meta to start using Europeans' data for AI training May 27

Cambodia's Chinese casino city bets big on Beijing

TRADE WARS
Trump signs order to ramp up US deep-sea mining

Coral reefs pushed to brink as bleaching crisis worsens

India takes diplomatic measures against Pakistan after Kashmir attack

Uncovering energy inefficiencies in hydrogen production

TRADE WARS
Melting snow and ice reinforce cloud-driven cooling slowing Arctic thaw

'Hard on the body': Canadian troops train for Arctic defense

Head of US base in Greenland fired after Vance visit

Yana, a 130,000-year-old baby mammoth, goes under the scalpel

TRADE WARS
Chinese tea hub branches into coffee as tastes change

Iraq farmers turn to groundwater to boost desert yield

Saudi 'city of roses' offers fragrant reminder of desert's beauty

Indonesia food plan risks 'world's largest' deforestation

TRADE WARS
Nepal's long road to quake resilience

Nepal marks 10 years since devastating 2015 quake

Downpours drench homeless survivors of Myanmar quake

Istanbul's Hagia Sophia prepares for next big quake

TRADE WARS
Nigeria court orders seizure of 73 properties linked to Chinese scam suspects

China and Kenya pledge to upgrade ties, oppose tariffs

Niger says jihadists kill 12 soldiers near Mali border

AU Somalia mission says needs 8,000 more peacekeepers

TRADE WARS
Sunscreen and shelter strategies may have shielded early humans from solar radiation

'Toxic beauty': Rise of 'looksmaxxing' influencers

'Toxic beauty': Rise of 'looksmaxxing' influencers

A visual pathway in the brain may do more than recognize objects

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.