Trump may be BRICS’s best recruitment agent

Source: Al Jazeera | Original Published At: 2026-09-12 07:44:06 UTC

Key Points

• BRICS leaders are meeting in New Delhi amid US President Donald Trump's tariff threats against countries aligning with what he called BRICS anti-American policies.
• The article argues that US use of tariffs, sanctions, and dollar-based financial leverage gives BRICS members stronger incentives to reduce dependence on US-centred economic infrastructure.
• BRICS members have major political and economic differences, including regional conflicts and border disputes, so the bloc is not portrayed as a unified anti-US alliance.
• Examples of reduced dollar reliance include South Africa's use of China's Cross-Border Interbank Payment System, Brazil-China local currency trade, India-UAE rupee-dirham settlements, and China-Russia national-currency trade.
• BRICS is discussing linking fast-payment networks and central bank digital currencies, while the New Development Bank targets more lending in local currencies.
• The piece says these measures do not replace the dollar's reserve status but create alternative transaction channels and greater strategic autonomy.