Leaders from the BRICS bloc, often presented as a counterweight to the West, will soon meet in Rio de Janeiro, just as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to reignite his trade war with a flurry of new unilateral tariffs.
The summit, held on July 6 and 7, will feature officials from the group’s founding members—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—and its newer additions—Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia, and Iran. Leaders from “partner countries,” a new category created in January as a stepping stone to full membership, will also attend. Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh, is traveling to Brazil after the Southeast Asian country became the newest BRICS partner in June.
