A World at War: BRICS Expands as US Influence Faces New Test
After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union came out as victors. Though they both fought against the same enemy, Germany, due to their ideological differences, they became adversaries. Vying to be the leader of the new world order, both of them engaged in proxy wars for several decades throughout the Cold War, which ultimately ended with the fall and dissolution of the Soviet Union. Hence, the US became the face of this new world order centered around projecting military might, robust technological growth, and the most important of them all, having the US dollar as the global currency. However, a new coalition of countries is now stepping up to change this world order, and it’s happening much faster than one may imagine.
A Brief History of BRICS and Its Growing Influence
BRICS, or the coalition of the five countries Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, was established in 2009, though South Africa joined in 2010. Since then, it has walked a long way from lacking in international influence to slowly gaining interest and ground. In this changing geopolitical space, BRICS is now seen as something different from the usual world order, and in doing so, is attracting numerous other countries. Since its establishment, it now has ten member states and ten partner states in the coalition. Today, BRICS represents almost 40% of the world population and 25% of the world GDP. Many more countries are in contention to join this alliance. In a bid to reduce dependence on Western financial institutions, BRICS has established its own alternative to the IMF and World Bank: the New Development Bank (NDB). While the IMF and the World Bank are designed to finance the needs of the developing countries, NDB works to develop the BRICS member countries. Designed to fund infrastructure and development projects across member nations, the NDB offers loans at lower interest rates and with fewer conditions than traditional lenders. Unlike the IMF, which is largely influenced by the United States, the NDB operates on a model of equal voting rights among its members, giving each country an equal say in decision-making. For BRICS, the NDB represents not just a financial institution, but a strategic move toward a more balanced and multipolar global economic system.
Trump Sounds the Alarm on BRICS
Given its position as the dominant global power, the United States has legitimate concerns about the growing influence of this emerging bloc. Statements of US president Donald Trump only confirm that the American government is becoming more paranoid of the power BRICS could hold. BRICS recently held an annual summit in Rio De Janeiro, which Trump vehemently detested. Stating, “I’ll put a 10% tariff on any country that is in BRICS just simply for being there.” Additionally, he mentioned how BRICS is attempting to overthrow the US dollar as the global standard for trade. Trade between China and Brazil with their own currencies only raises more concern and speculation about the security of the dollar. China now purchases crude oil from Saudi Arabia in digital yuan. This is an alarming sign for the US, as the dollar is the currency in which most companies and countries use to purchase oil. BRICS has now managed to pull some of the more heavyweight countries into it. For example, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Indonesia are all interested or have joined BRICS already. These countries have some of the largest GDPs and are important allies of the USA. For example, Saudi Arabia has a GDP of 1.078 trillion, and Indonesia’s GDP is 1.371 trillion. Thus, the US is attempting to impose more tariffs in order to lure those countries away from BRICS, though this method has been proven ineffective.
Brazil Won’t Back Down
Brazil’s current left-wing president, Lula De Silva, is a major advocate of this new alliance and was a co-founder of the organization. He stated, “The world does not need another emperor called the US.” He has been incredibly vocal about shifting from this one world order to a bipolar world that doesn’t include the dollar as the only reserve currency. Naturally, Trump did not take this message well, declaring a flat 50% tariff on Brazil starting from August 1. This further increase in tariff arrives just after the increasing souring relationship between Lula and Trump, as the latter favors Bolsonaro, who was the previous president of Brazil. Another reason why this huge tariff is not seen as a surprise is because of this being seen as an effort to bring back his old friend Bolsonaro back into the office.
Weakening this coalition has become President Trump’s main foreign policy objective in his second term. BRICS has continued to expand its membership and push for independence from developed economies, including suggesting last November that it may try to start its own reserve currency as an alternative to the US dollar. That prompted an immediate threat from Trump, who hit member countries with 100% tariffs.
Trump has long made it clear he’s no fan of Lula, who views himself as the voice of developing economies and a champion of a more balanced, multipolar world order. Lula’s support for the use of multilateral institutions to drive cooperation on issues like climate change sharply contrasts with Trump’s nationalist, protectionist, “America First” approach.
In a list of Latin American countries that are engaged in strong disagreements with the Trump administration, Brazil would be at the top of the list, unlike its neighbor Argentina, whose president has chosen to cozy up the relationship between the US and Argentina.
Lula has been adamant about expanding the BRICS coalition, as well as its financial reach, and has deepened Brazil’s ties with China and Russia. It seems true when Chinese EVs are taking over and replacing American-made cars in the streets of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. However, the Chinese and Russian presidents were not present physically at the recent annual summit. This highlights that not everything is as good as it seems on the outside.
Differences in BRICS and its future
BRICS’ founding nations are influential and large in scope, thus having their own internal matters. So BRICS is more of a non-aligned organization than an anti-West bloc, especially since not all nations within BRICS are anti-West. For example, India, which keeps balance with both the east and the west, and many of the BRICS countries, such as Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, are still dependent on America in various sectors like military weapons, investments in different sectors, foreign aid, and trade. Then, there’s the case of internal politics and conflicts within the group. China and India have disputes among them; Russia is busy with fighting its war in Ukraine, and South Africa is concerned with solidifying its position within BRICS as the first major African country.
Nonetheless, BRICS continues to grow in size and ambition. What was once seen as a loose economic partnership has begun to evolve into something far more: a coordinated effort to change the rules of global power—and to do so without the West.
At the heart of this shift is a simple but radical idea: that the post–World War II financial order, anchored by American institutions and the US dollar, is no longer neutral, fair, or inevitable. Through the New Development Bank, de-dollarization efforts, and expanded partnerships beyond its core five nations, BRICS is laying the foundation for an alternate global system, one that could bypass Washington altogether.
Is It Time for the U.S. to Rethink about BRICS?
If BRICS ever succeeds in dethroning the dollar as the world’s reserve and trade currency, the consequences for the US economy would be catastrophic. Key financial institutions, entirely reliant on the stability and supremacy of the dollar, could collapse under pressure. Nations tied to dollar-based debt markets could spiral into crisis. What we’re witnessing is not merely a rebalancing of trade alliances—it is the beginning of a post-American financial order. Some in Washington are beginning to sound the alarm. “BRICS is a problem, and I’m glad that he’s addressing it squarely. This is an effort by other countries to undermine the United States of America and, quite frankly, our allies,” said Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.). “Countries are going to need to start to choose: are they going to align themselves with a malign communist regime that has concentration camps, or the United States?”
His language may be politically charged, but the urgency reflects a broader reality: for the first time in decades, America’s economic dominance faces an organized alternative—one not built on military rivalry, but on currency swaps, infrastructure lending, and institutional reform.
The United States must now confront a question it hasn’t faced in generations: What happens when others no longer need to play by our rules?