BRICS nations have unanimously challenged US hegemony, while Trump is retaliating with more tariffs
A paradigm shift is visible for all to see. The world order dominated by the Western Bloc, led by the US, is crumbling, and the unease is visible. While the BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — may not have challenged the old world order directly, they have taken the first step in defiance at the BRICS Summit in Rio. Of late, the US President has taken the world by storm — recklessly announcing unilateral trade policies and acting on its own — without even caring for the United Nations, while taking action to maintain global power matrix. It struck Iran, though retracted later, but the message it sent to all was clear: while US power is waning, it would not mind playing power games to restore its hegemony. Indeed, a new global power contest is unfolding — not through conventional warfare or old Cold War rhetoric, but through trade, currency realignment and strategic alliances.
At the centre of this confrontation is BRICS — a bloc once seen as a loose grouping of emerging economies, now maturing into a potent geopolitical force — and the Western world led by a combative and unpredictable Donald Trump. The recent Brazil summit marked a turning point. The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and new BRICS+ members issued a joint statement condemning the rise of unilateral tariffs and protectionism. Not to be outdone, President Trump’s announcement of a blanket 10 per cent tariff on countries aligning with “anti-American” BRICS policies further inflamed tensions. While he failed to define these policies, it was clear the threat was retaliation against BRICS’s growing push to de-dollarise global trade. This move by Trump appears more than economic posturing. It reflects a deeper anxiety in Washington — the fear of losing grip over a global order long shaped by the dominance of the dollar and Western-led institutions like IMF and World Bank. From setting up alternative payment systems to questioning the legitimacy of dollar hegemony, BRICS has begun to redefine the rules of the global economic game. India which would assume its Chair next year would have a significant role to play.
Indeed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s voice in Brazil carried weight. India walked a diplomatic tightrope — aligning with calls against tariff wars and unilateralism, while also maintaining strategic autonomy. Its silence on Trump’s tariff threat, however, sparked debate about whether New Delhi is hesitating to fully commit to the emerging anti-West consensus within BRICS. With countries like Iran and Indonesia joining, and others like Saudi Arabia and Nigeria knocking on the door, BRICS is no longer just an economic club — it’s a political entity which has its own engine and momentum; something the US-led Western bloc would never like to see. The bloc’s condemnation of US strikes on Iran and its sympathy for the Palestinian cause show that BRICS is no longer afraid of taking on the US. Trump may try to intimidate this emerging order with tariffs and threats, but the response from BRICS leaders held their ground.
Interestingly, Lula da Silva said, “The world has changed. We don’t want an emperor. We are sovereign countries.” In this contest between an ageing empire and a coalition of awakening powers, the stakes are not just about tariffs or currency — they are about the shape of the world to come.
