BRICS Aspires to Occupy Ground Vacated by US Under Trump

Ever since BRICS was founded more than a decade ago, the group of emerging-market nations has struggled to identify a common purpose. President Donald Trump’s tariffs may have solved that problem.

BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro this weekend for a summit hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are expected to sign up to a joint statement decrying “the rise of unjustified unilateral protectionist measures” and the “indiscriminate raising” of tariffs. That’s what foreign ministers from the bloc named for oldest members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa agreed to in April, and several officials said the text would remain in the communique.