The BRICS group of developing countries’ foreign ministers met in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday but were unable to come to a consensus on a unified declaration.
However, chair Brazil released a statement speaking against trade protectionism.
Brazil claimed in the statement that the foreign ministers of the group were “seriously concerned at the prospect of a fragmented global economy and the weakening of multilateralism.”
The speech did not specifically mention the United States, but President Donald Trump’s new tariff-focused trade policy has sparked worries about a global economic downturn.
The expanded BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa as well as new joiners Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran, faces daunting challenges from U.S. trade actions.
“The ministers voiced serious concerns about the rise of unjustified unilateral protectionist measures inconsistent with WTO rules, including indiscriminate raising of reciprocal tariffs and non-tariff measures,” the statement said.
Brazilian Foreign Relations Minister Mauro Vieira informed journalists that the BRICS ministers had reached an agreement on tariffs, as evidenced by the South American country’s statement.
He noted that the nations were working on a final united declaration for their July meeting, also in Rio de Janeiro.
