I’ve been so focused on our climate-ecological crises and other pressing issues of our lives in the United States that it has been years since I’ve covered news of the BRICS group of countries. The 17th BRICS Summit 2025, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6th to 7th, caught my attention. After all, the emerging and developing economies of the Global South* must be facing additional challenges with America’s disengagement from international cooperation on global issues as well as our government’s unilateral stance on trade tariffs worldwide. And much more.

Why should the BRICS group matter? It’s not a formal organization. There’s no constitutional treaty, budget, or a permanent secretariat. Rather, it serves only as a forum for economic and diplomatic coordination in diverse areas of mutual interest. The group also aims to offer an alternative to Western-dominated economic models. The presidency rotates annually with the incumbent responsible for organizing and sponsoring the group’s activities.

Our Dear Leader has no love for the BRICS plan to establish its own currency for intra-BRICS trade. “If they want to play games with the dollar, they’re going to be hit with a 100% tariff,” he told the press, ahead of his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, 2025.

US international trade, once the hallmark of our economic greatness, is now weaponized. We the people of the world will all suffer the consequences.

Since the creation of the term BRICS—standing for the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—the group expanded in 2023 with the admission of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia,** and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). After accepting the invitation to join the group, Indonesia became the eleventh member on January 6, 2025.

Seeking to expand its global influence, the group approved the creation of the “BRICS partner country” status during the 16th BRICS Summit in August 2024. Added to the group of ten or eleven members (depending on how one views the status of Saudi Arabia), there are now ten partner countries: Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Partners can participate in BRICS summits and benefit from BRICS initiatives.

As a geographer, I love the visual impact of maps. Unfortunately, the best updated Map of the BRICS group, published by Geopolitical Economy (G/E) on December 25, 2024, is not available for download. You can view it here.

With its expanded membership and partnership, BRICS now has a larger voice on international forums. The data below was obtained from the BRICS Brazil website.

• BRICS represents 49.5 percent of the world’s population and 38.3 percent of global territory. Its members come from four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America.
• BRICS accounts for 43.6 percent of global oil production, 44 percent of the world’s oil reserves, 36 percent of global natural gas production, and 55 percent of the world’s natural gas reserves.
• BRICS holds approximately 72 percent of global reserves of rare earth minerals.
• According to the World Bank (2021), the ten BRICS countries control approximately 32 percent of the world’s agricultural land. With the addition of Indonesia, this share is expected to increase to around 33 percent.
• According to FAO data (2023), BRICS represented a significant portion of global food production: rice (61%), goat meat (61%), oranges (57%), pork (56%), soybeans (53%), potatoes (50%), wheat (47%), corn (43%), sheep meat (43%), poultry (41%), cow milk (34%), and beef (32%).
• BRICS accounted for approximately 40 percent of global GDP in 2023.
• BRICS accounted for 26 percent of global international trade in 2023.
• Intra-BRICS trade has grown significantly since the early 2000s from close to USD 17 billion to USD 334 billion by 2020.

The theme of the 17th BRICS Summit 2025 was “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.” On Sunday, July 6, 2025, in their approved Leaders’ Declaration, the group also raised concerns about the global multilateral trading system in Article 13:

The multilateral trading system has long been at a crossroads. The proliferation of trade-restrictive actions, whether in the form of indiscriminate rising of tariffs and non-tariff measures, or protectionism under the guise of environmental objectives, threatens to further reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty into international economic and trade activities, potentially exacerbating existing economic disparities and affecting prospects for global economic development. We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules….

Among the 126 articles of the Leaders’ Declaration, the following articles address issues that conflict with US foreign policies and disengagement:

14. Condemnation of the imposition of unilateral economic and secondary sanctions that undermine international law and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter.

15. Underscore the role of the World Health Organization as the authority on international health and commitment to support efforts to strengthen the global health architecture.

19. Strongly condemn all violations of international humanitarian law, including deliberate attacks against civilians and civilian objects, including civilian infrastructure, as well as the denial or obstruction of humanitarian access and the targeting of humanitarian personnel.

21. Condemn the military strikes against Iran since June 13, 2025, as a violation of international law and the UN Charter.

24. Grave concern about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with the resumption of continuous Israeli attacks against Gaza and obstruction of the entry of humanitarian aid into the territory. Condemn all violations of international humanitarian law, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare.

27. Reaffirm that a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict depends on the fulfillment of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the rights to self-determination and return.

38. Express concern about the growing risks of nuclear danger and conflict.

50. Finance ministers and central bank governors tasked with continued discussions on the BRICS Cross-Boder Payments Initiative. Welcome their report on preferences for facilitating fast, low-cost, more accessible, efficient, transparent, and safe cross-border payments among BRICS countries and other nations for supporting greater trade and investment flows. 

64. Underscore the key role of the G20 as the premier global forum for international economic cooperation that provides a platform for dialogue of both developed and emerging economies on an equal and mutually beneficial footing for jointly seeking shared solutions to global challenges and fostering multipolar world.

81. Commitment to uphold multilateralism to address challenges threatening our shared planet and future, such as climate change. Call on all countries to uphold their existing commitment as Parties of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement and to maintain and scale up their effort to combat climate change.

83. Emphasize that accessible, timely and affordable climate finance for developing countries is critical for enabling just transitions pathways that combine climate action with sustainable development. [See the Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance issued on July 7, 2025]

As reported by the Business Insider on July 7, 2025, our Dear Leader was quick to respond that Sunday night on Truth Social: “Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy.”

On Friday, July 11, 2025, as reported in The Economic Times of India, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) criticized our Dear Leader’s call for an additional 10 percent tariff on BRICS countries trading in non-US Dollar currencies. The Indian think tank argued that US sanctions on countries like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, denying them access to the global SWIFT banking network, forced these economies to seek alternative payment systems.

“This isn’t an anti-dollar strategy, it’s a survival mechanism triggered by US sanctions,” GTRI said.

In my view, US exorbitant, unilateral tariffs on all our trading partners will serve only to cement economic relationships between BRICS member and partner states and foster more intra-BRICS trade. On the other hand, long-standing bilateral and inter-regional tensions between some member countries stand in the way of challenging the Western-dominated economic order. These geopolitical conflicts include the China-India border dispute and the Egypt-Ethiopia dispute over the Nile River dam. Then, there is the Iran-UAE opposing stand towards Israel. Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine further complicates the formation of a cohesive group. Such conflicts can undermine trust.

Time is running out on taking the actions necessary to slow down the worst consequences of our overheated planet. We the people of Earth are all in this together. It matters that the voices of our most vulnerable countries can find other ways of expression.

Footnotes:

*Global South refers to the group of developing countries primarily located in the Southern Hemisphere, including Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Southern Asia.

**Saudi Arabia has reportedly accepted membership, but has officially delayed joining without explanation.