BRICS Nations Express Disapproval of Tariff Hikes During Summit Amidst Overshadowing Middle Eastern Tensions
The 2023 BRICS summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, saw the member countries issue a joint statement that strongly condemned attacks on Iran, violence in the Middle East, and Israel's occupation of Syrian territory. The declaration emphasised the importance of a peaceful two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, with Gaza being deemed an "inseparable" part of Palestine.
However, the statement noticeably avoided direct mention of the United States and Israel, even while condemning the strikes on Iran as violations of international law and deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure. This cautious approach was indicative of the internal divisions within BRICS over how to address U.S. unilateralism and Middle East conflicts.
The summit was marked by significant internal disagreements, with China and Russia, who usually push for a more assertive anti-Western stance, reportedly absent from the meeting. Their absence weakened the bloc's ability to present a unified front. Meanwhile, members like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, concerned about their security reliance on Washington, were reluctant to antagonize the U.S.
The diversity of interests within BRICS resulted in a diluted and cautious approach, highlighting difficulties for BRICS to act as a strong counterweight to U.S. and Western influence. Experts see the summit’s subdued approach as indicative of BRICS' limitations in challenging the existing global order given the competing strategic interests of its members.
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, who attended the summit in place of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, expressed his government's reservation regarding a two-state solution. Brazil, on the other hand, focused on less controversial issues, such as promoting trade relations between members and global health, in a bid to avoid becoming the target of higher tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also criticised NATO's decision to hike military spending by 5% of GDP annually by 2035. The BRICS leaders expressed "grave concern" for the humanitarian situation in Gaza and condemned recent Ukrainian attacks on Russia.
The BRICS bloc last year expanded to include Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. The summit offered the best opportunity for emerging countries to respond and seek alternatives, as well as to diversify their economic partnerships. Despite the internal divisions, the BRICS summit remains an important platform for attendees, especially in the context of instability provoked by trade tariffs and geopolitical tensions.
- The climate of the BRICS summit in Seattle, if held, might include discussions about administration's trade policies, as Brazil focused on trade relations during the 2023 summit to avoid higher tariffs.
- The Seattle Business Journal could report on the SEattle economy's potential growth, considering the BRICS leaders expressed concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the increasing NATO military spending.
- Amazon, based in Seattle, could express its concern about the ongoing conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, as their strategic partnerships may be affected by geopolitical tensions.
- The City of Seattle's Government could make a statement on the environment, parallel to the BRICS' declaration on the importance of a peaceful two-state solution, highlighting their commitment to address war-and-conflicts' impacts on the environment.
- Seattle's political news landscape might touch upon the BRICS bloc's expansion, as emerging countries look to respond to and seek alternatives from the existing global order, exploring possible partnerships with Seattle-based industries like technology and eco-tourism.