Tariffs: BRICS criticise Trump for raising tariffs and attacking Iran

Milan, 7 July (LaPresse) – The BRICS bloc criticised the increase in tariffs and attacks on Iran in its latest summit statement. Meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, the group also condemned NATO's increase in military spending and expressed concern about the disruption to global trade caused by tariffs. In an indirect criticism of the United States, the group's statement raised ‘serious concerns’ about the tariff increases, which it called ‘inconsistent with WTO (World Trade Organisation) rules’. The BRICS countries added that such restrictions ‘threaten to reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains and introduce uncertainty.’ Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped the summit for the first time since 2012, while Russian President Vladimir Putin participated via videoconference due to an international arrest warrant. The bloc, which has recently expanded to include new members such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, focused on trade, climate change and institutional development. Leaders stressed the need for global cooperation in a context of economic and political instability. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who hosted the summit, criticised NATO's decision to increase military spending by 5% of GDP per year by 2035. This position was then echoed in the group's statement. ‘It is always easier to invest in war than in peace,’ Lula said at the opening of the summit.