BRICS countries reacted to threats from US President Donald Trump regarding the imposition of an additional 10% tariff on any country that joins "anti-American policies." This is reported by UNN with reference to Independent.
Details
South Africa, in its response to the US leader, stated that it is not anti-American and still wants to negotiate a trade deal with the US.
"We are still awaiting official communication from the US regarding our trade agreement, but our discussions remain constructive and fruitful. As we have previously stated, we do not have anti-American sentiments."
South Africa has been seeking to negotiate a trade deal with the Trump administration since May, when the US president hosted his counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa for talks at the White House.
China's reaction
China said BRICS does not seek confrontation and is not targeting any country after President Donald Trump threatened a new 10% tariff.
"BRICS is an important platform for cooperation among developing markets in developing countries. BRICS stands for openness, inclusiveness, and voluntary cooperation. It is not a bloc for confrontation, and it is not aimed at any country. Regarding the US tariff increase, China has repeatedly and clearly expressed its position. Trade wars and tariff wars have no winners, and protectionism leads nowhere," said Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a press briefing on July 7.
Malaysia joins BRICS
Malaysia, after statements by US President Donald Trump, announced that it is joining the BRICS bloc.
Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) stated that the country's engagement with any multilateral platform is driven by trade facilitation, sustainable development, and the country's best interests, rather than ideological alliances.
"Malaysia pursues an independent foreign and economic policy. Our engagement with any multilateral platform focuses on trade facilitation and sustainable development, guided by national interests, not ideological alignment,"
MITI also emphasized the long-standing and substantial economic ties between Malaysia and the United States, which it called one of Malaysia's key economic partners.
What is known about BRICS
The BRICS group — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — is seen as a coalition of developing countries, distinct from NATO, that invites multilateral diplomacy at a time when forums led by the world's leading economies, such as the G7 and G20, have found themselves in a zone of tension caused by Trump's "Make America Great Again!" approach.
After its founding in 2009 and the invitation for South Africa to join the following year, the bloc admitted Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, and the UAE as full members. Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan were also invited as "partner countries."
The BRICS coalition countries represent more than half of the world's population and 40 percent of its economic output, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva noted in his address to business leaders at the summit on Saturday, warning against rising protectionism.
In his opening remarks at the summit, Lula also drew a parallel with the Cold War-era Non-Aligned Movement – a group of developing countries that resisted aligning with either side of the polarized world order.
"BRICS is the heir to the Non-Aligned Movement. Given the attack on multilateralism, our autonomy is once again under threat,"
Trump's sudden and unexpected geopolitical dispute with the group of developing countries came just hours after it gathered for its annual meeting in Rio de Janeiro and issued a statement warning against rising tariffs and how they threaten global trade.
The US president did not explain what he meant by "anti-American policies." The Trump administration is seeking to finalize dozens of trade deals with a number of countries around the world before the president's July 9 deadline, when he will impose significant "reciprocal tariffs," which are expected to torpedo stock markets in the East and West.
Addition
Participants of the BRICS summit, held under Brazil's chairmanship, condemned "attacks" on bridges and railway infrastructure in Russia's Bryansk, Kursk, and Voronezh regions.