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Brics voice 'serious concerns' about Trump tariffs, call for 'unconditional' Gaza ceasefire
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (C) speaks during the first plenary session of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP
Brics leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday issued a call for urgent global action, voicing alarm over the United States' escalating tariff policies under President Donald Trump and urging an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in war-torn Gaza.
In a final declaration, the 11-member bloc, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and new members such as Iran, warned that Trump's 'indiscriminate' import tariffs were threatening the global economy.
'We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules,' the leaders said, referring to the World Trade Organization. The bloc described such policies as illegal, arbitrary, and disruptive to global trade, supply chains, and economic stability.
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The Brics group, which accounts for around half the world's population and 40% of its economic output, has long been critical of unilateralism in international trade. While its members differ on many issues, they have found unity in opposing Trump's protectionist policies.
The statement comes amid renewed threats from Trump to reimpose tariffs on allies and rivals unless new trade agreements are reached by August 1.
On the Middle East, the Brics bloc also demanded urgent action to halt the 22-month-old war in Gaza, calling for negotiators to reach an 'immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire.'
'We exhort the parties to engage in good faith in further negotiations to achieve an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire,' the statement said, while calling for a 'full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and all other parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.'
The summit's Gaza statement came as talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Doha, amid intensifying international pressure to end the conflict. The war began with Hamas's October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, prompting a devastating Israeli military response.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, at least 57,418 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the Israeli campaign began. The United Nations has deemed the figures credible.
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While the Brics group includes Iran, a key adversary of Israel, it also comprises nations like Russia that maintain significant diplomatic or economic ties with both sides. Their joint call signals growing frustration among emerging powers over the war's global humanitarian and geopolitical fallout.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Trump has said he hopes for a breakthrough in ceasefire negotiations within the coming week.
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