Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday had a swipe at US president Donald Trump saying that the world “doesn’t need an emperor” after Trump threatened new tariffs on BRICS member countries. Leaders of the BRICS nations in a statement dismissed Trump’s accusation that the bloc is “anti-American.”
Trump issued a threat on Sunday night, warning that government was preparing to finalize dozens of trade agreements with various countries ahead of his July 9 deadline for the imposition of what he called “retaliatory tariffs.”
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva: ‘World Has Changed. We Donn’t Wan’t An Emperor’
At the conclusion of the BRICS summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Lula struck a defiant tone when questioned by reporters about Trump’s warning.
“The world has changed. We don’t want an emperor,” Lula said.
Speaking about the role of BRICS, Lula emphasized that the bloc aims to find an alternative model for global economic cooperation.
“This is a set of countries that wants to find another way of organising the world from the economic perspective,” Lula explained. “I think that’s why the BRICS are making people uncomfortable.”
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Floats Idea of Common Currency
In February, Trump had warned that BRICS nations could face “100% tariffs” if they tried to undermine the dominance of the US dollar in global trade. By that time, Brazil’s BRICS presidency had already scaled back efforts to promote the idea of a common currency for the bloc, an idea that had been suggested by some members the previous year.
On Monday, Lula reiterated his longstanding position that international trade should not depend exclusively on the US dollar.
“The world needs to find a way that our trade relations don’t have to pass through the dollar,” he told journalists.
However, Lula acknowledged the need for caution in this process.
“Obviously, we have to be responsible about doing that carefully. Our central banks have to discuss it with central banks from other countries,” he added.
What Other BRICS Leaders Said About Donald Trump Tariffs
Other BRICS member nations also reacted to Trump’s threats but used more cautious language.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the group does not seek to compete with any global power and expressed hope for a trade deal with Washington.
“We do not aim to compete with anyone,” Ramaphosa told reporters, adding that he remains optimistic about securing a trade agreement with the United States.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning criticized the use of tariffs as a political tool.
“Tariffs should not be used as a tool for coercion and pressuring,” Mao said. She emphasized that BRICS promotes “win-win cooperation” and “does not target any country.”
Also Read: Donald Trump ‘Closely Monitoring’ BRICS Summit, Warns Of 10% Tariff, Says White House
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
