Lula, Xi Decry Tariffs and Urge BRICS Unity Amid Trump Threats

Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva decried the use of tariffs as a tool of “blackmail” while China’s Xi Jinping said trade wars were disrupting the global economy during a BRICS summit that took place against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s targeting of the bloc’s members.

Neither Lula nor Xi specifically mentioned Trump or the US during Monday remarks at a virtual gathering of BRICS countries, the group of emerging market nations formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and later South Africa that has since expanded to include other countries.

But the Brazilian leader convened the meeting to discuss ...