September 3, 2025

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is setting the stage for a fiery virtual meeting next Monday with leaders of BRICS nations! The hot topic? US President Donald Trump’s tricky trade policies. According to four insiders, Lula wants to chat not just about the high tariffs the US slapped on Brazil but also to rally the big emerging market countries behind a powerful call for multilateralism. Two Brazilian government officials confirmed this but asked to stay anonymous since the plan isn’t officially out yet. Trump’s recent moves plunged Brazil into the thick of his global trade war in July. He threatened to raise tariffs unless Brazil’s Supreme Court stopped the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, accused of trying a coup. Now, Brazil faces 50% tariffs on many goods, though some items like airplanes and orange juice got lucky with exceptions. Here’s the twist — the US is treating each BRICS country differently with tariffs. This makes it tough for them to lock in a joint statement during the meet. But Lula wants to keep things cool, avoiding what he calls an “anti-US summit,” one official said. The timing is spicy! Bolsonaro’s trial kicks off Tuesday, and everyone expects Trump to double down on attacks against Brazil. The US already canceled visas for Supreme Court judges and slapped sanctions on the chief judge handling Bolsonaro’s case. This BRICS pow-wow will come right after a major meet in Tianjin where China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi will discuss key matters. Modi also recently met with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Tianjin, and Putin will have talks with Xi in Beijing on Tuesday. Interestingly, Modi’s past closeness to Trump once slowed BRICS from taking a bold stand against tariffs at their July leaders’ summit. But with Modi and Trump not in good terms now, the path is open for a stronger, united voice from BRICS, sources said. Adding fuel to the fire, Trump also warned of more tariffs on BRICS for trying to cut down their use of the US dollar by trading in local currencies. Will Lula’s call bring BRICS together to push back against Trump’s tariff tantrums? Stay tuned as this high-stakes global trade drama unfolds!

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Tags: Brics, Lula da silva, Donald trump, Trade tariffs, Multilateralism, India-china-russia,