NEW WORLD ON THE OLD ROUTES

Amid renewed US tariff threats, the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro showcased the bloc's bold ambition to rewrite the global order—challenging Western hegemony with multilateral resolve, revived land routes, and a unified Global South voice rising from the Old World

- DIPANKAR DEY

Despite repeated warnings from the USA President to impose hefty tariffs on the BRICS bloc of fast-growing economies, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia, the recently concluded 17th BRICS Summit (July 6-7) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, tried to revive and reinvent a collective approach to the world's problems.

Experts observe that the expanded BRICS mechanism, with its vast economic scale, large populations, and significant contributions to the global economy, is gaining influence on the worldwide stage.

Their collective voice and actions are crucial for upholding the multilateral trading system centered on the World Trade Organisation, strongly demonstrating that unilateralism and trade protectionism are ineffective and cannot intimidate the Global South.

Donald Trump's Growing Apprehension about BRICS

Donald Trump is afraid of BRICS, as he has reason to worry.

Trump rightly perceives that BRICS is anti-Western, and the core of its mantra is to change the current global order, which the USA dominates.

As BRICS leaders convened in Rio de Janeiro for their annual summit, Trump on Sunday (July 6) vowed to slap an additional 10 per cent tariff on any nation backing the group's "anti-American policies."

Although his latest threat was much lower than the 100 per cent tariffs promised in January on countries that "play games with the dollar," Trump remains adamant about the need to safeguard the US dollar as the world's reserve currency.

Over the past decade, BRICS has swelled from four to ten members, including Indonesia, which joined in January.

Saudi Arabia is listed as a member but has yet to confirm its status.

The bloc also has nine partner countries, while dozens of others are lining up to join.