Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday hit back at U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of new tariffs on BRICS countries, declaring that “the world doesn’t want an emperor” and defending the bloc’s pursuit of a new global economic order.
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Lula’s remarks came at the close of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, where leaders of the expanded group of developing nations gathered amid renewed trade tensions with the United States. Trump, on Sunday, had warned of a possible 10% tariff against BRICS members if their policies were deemed “anti-American.”
“The world has changed,” Lula said in response to questions about Trump’s warning. “We don’t want an emperor. This is a set of countries that wants to find another way of organizing the world from the economic perspective. That’s why BRICS is making people uncomfortable.”
Although the U.S. has not yet moved forward with the threatened tariffs, a source close to the matter told reporters that the Trump administration will act if BRICS nations pursue actions perceived as undermining U.S. interests.
At the heart of the disagreement is BRICS’s push for alternatives to the U.S. dollar in international trade. While Brazil had recently cooled on calls for a unified BRICS currency, Lula reiterated on Monday the need to reduce global dependence on the greenback.
“The world needs to find a way that our trade relations don’t have to pass through the dollar,” he said. “Obviously, we have to be responsible. Our central banks need to discuss this carefully with others. It’s a gradual process.”
Other BRICS leaders responded in more measured tones. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said the group did not seek confrontation. “We are not in competition with any other power,” he said, expressing optimism about continued trade relations with the United States.
In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning criticized the use of tariffs as a coercive tool, calling instead for “win-win cooperation” that does not target any nation.
The Kremlin also weighed in, stating that Russia’s collaboration within BRICS is built on a “common world view” and “will never be directed against third countries.”
India did not immediately comment on Trump’s threat, though officials noted ongoing engagements with U.S. trade representatives.
Meanwhile, new BRICS member Indonesia sent its senior economic minister, Airlangga Hartarto, to Washington on Monday for high-level trade talks. Malaysia, also present at the summit as a partner nation, said it maintains an independent foreign policy and is not driven by ideological alliances.
The summit’s final communiqué emphasized multilateral cooperation and warned that the growing use of tariffs risked further destabilizing the global economy. The statement also condemned the recent bombing of member nation Iran, further highlighting the bloc’s coordinated geopolitical stance.
With groups like the G7 and G20 increasingly strained by geopolitical divisions and Trump’s renewed “America First” doctrine, BRICS has positioned itself as a counterbalance—championing cooperation among emerging economies amid the global disorder.
Formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, BRICS has since expanded to include South Africa, and more recently, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia, while not yet a full member, participated in this year’s summit as a partner nation. Over 30 other countries have expressed interest in joining.
Trump has previously claimed that countries working to sideline the U.S. dollar in global trade could face up to “100% tariffs”—a move that analysts warn could ignite further economic volatility.
Despite the threats, Lula and his fellow BRICS leaders appear determined to continue reshaping global trade dynamics.
“As the world evolves, so too must the institutions and currencies that govern it,” Lula said. “No one country can dictate the terms for everyone.”
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