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My Motivation for choosing this topic:

The reason I chose to do a project about the BRICS group is because I have noticed that people don’t understand or even know what BRICS is.

I want to make people more aware about this very important global trading group.

I also wanted to find out more information about BRICS myself. Especially its significance in the world and how linked BRICS is to our everyday lives.

With global tensions and Trumps tariffs BRICS is becoming a thing we cannot ignore any longer, also adding to my motivation for this project.

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What BRICS stands for and who is involved.

BRICS originally stood for Brazil, Russia, India and China. This list grew . There are now ten members of BRICS with more set to join in 2025.

BRICS is an interstate association that deals with trading.
The aim of BRICS is de-dollarisation which entails trading without the dollar and becoming less reliant on America for trading.

BRICS comprises of the following countries.
Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Ethiopia.

There are also nine partner countries who are not full members of BRICS yet, these countries are Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Nigeria

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HOW BIG IS BRICS ?

BRICS comprises of roughly half the world population.

Roughly nine of the member countries are the most populated ones on this planet.

The combined population of BRICS (including partner states) is approximately 4 billion.

India and China are the most populated countries on the planet in 1st and 2nd place, Indonesia is the 4th most populated country followed by Brazil in 7th, Russia in 9th and so forth.

(The countries in red on the graph to the right are BRICS member with accurate statistic of population count)

The population size is also a factor that greatly effects GDP (Gross Domestic Product) .

This is the income of the country.

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THE GDP OF BRICS.

BRICS makes up 41% of the worlds GDP.

The original five members of BRICS made up 33.76% of global GDP in October 2024.

This means that the original five members of BRICS makes up more GDP than the G7 countries ( Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States

As of October 2024, China made up 19% of global GDP (PPP), compared to just 15% for the US.

This is mainly down to Chinas dominance in global industry and manufacturing.

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GRAPH OF ORIGINAL FIVE BRICS MEMBERS GDP VS G7 GDP.

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GRAPH OF CHINA'S GDP IN COMPARISON TO USA'S GDP�& �ALL BRICS MEMBERS GDP ON A GRAPH.

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BRICS PRESIDANCY 2025

On January 1st, 2025, Brazil officially took over the presidency of BRICS for the next year.

In 2024 Russia held presidency of BRICS, in 2023 it was South Africa and in 2022 it was China.

This position rotates yearly, what does this mean for the president country of BRICS ?
This means all BRICS summits are held in that country, and they are the head of BRICS cooperation for the year.

BRICS Brazil 2025 aims to "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance", Brazil’s 2025 BRICS Presidency will focus on two priorities:

(i) Global South Cooperation

(ii) BRICS Partnerships for Social, Economic and Environmental Development.

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The aims of BRICS 2025

a) Global Health Cooperation:

encourage real cooperation projects among BRICS nations to promote sustainable and inclusive development in various sectors, particularly in health, to ensure access to medicines and vaccines; launch the BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases.

b) Trade, Investment and Finance:

consider the governance and reform of financial markets, local currencies, and payment instruments and platforms as a means of increasing and diversifying trade, financial and investment flows; advance the Partnership for the New Industrial Revolution and adopt the 2030 Strategy for the BRICS Economic Partnership.

c) Climate change:

adopt a BRICS Climate Leadership Agenda, including a Leaders' Framework Declaration on Climate Finance aimed at guiding structural change in the financial sector.

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The aims of BRICS 2025

d) Artificial Intelligence Governance:

promote inclusive and responsible international governance of artificial intelligence to unlock the potential of this technology for social, economic and environmental development.

e) Multilateral Peace and Security Architecture:

promote a global reform of the multilateral peace system and security architecture to ensure effective action in dealing with conflicts, preventing humanitarian disasters and preventing the outbreak of new crises; rebuild mutual trust and understanding, resume diplomacy and promote peaceful solutions to conflicts and disputes.

f) Institutional Development:

improving the structure and cohesion of the BRICS.

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THE LINK BETWEEN BRICS AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

These sustainable development goals tie into BRICS aims for 2025

( I believe BRICS has yet to address gender inequality/ try change the imbalance in some of the member countries)

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THE ABUNDANCE OF COMMODITIES IN BRICS:

FOOD PRODUCTS, NATURAL GAS, OIL, NATURAL MINERALS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

BRICS members and partners are the world’s leaders in the production of crucial commodities, such as cereals, meat, crude oil, natural gas, and strategic minerals like iron ore, copper, and nickel.

The main primary crops in the world, which represent more than half of global agricultural production, are, respectively, sugar cane, maize (corn), rice, wheat, oil palm fruit, and potatoes, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

BRICS countries dominate global production of these primary crops.

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BREAK DOWN OF WHICH BRICS COUNTRIES CONTRIBUTE WHAT FOOD COMMODITIES.

Brazil, India, and China make up roughly two-thirds of global production of sugar cane.

China and Brazil represent nearly 30% of global maize (corn) production.

China and India produce over half of the world’s rice.

China, India, and Russia produce more than 40% of the world’s wheat.

Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand (all new BRICS partners) comprise almost 90% of global oil palm fruit production.

China and India produce nearly 40% of the world’s potatoes.

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BRICS countries likewise produce much of the world’s meat.

China and Brazil make up more than 20% of global chicken production.

China produces more than 40% of the world’s pork.

Brazil and China make up more than 20% of global beef production.

China dominates aquaculture production of seafood, making up nearly 60% of global output.

Combined with India and Indonesia, they account for more than 70% of the world's seafood market.

BRICS countries likewise make up more than half of the world’s production of hen eggs.

China alone produces 34%.

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NATURAL GAS, OIL, MINERALS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY IN BRICS.

BRICS is now an energy powerhouse as well.

China is leading the world’s transition to renewable energy. China is building twice as much solar and wind power capacity as the rest of the world combined.

BRICS countries also play a major role in global production of crude oil.

Five of the world’s top 10 producers of crude oil are in BRICS, including Russia (3rd), China (4th), Iran (7th), the UAE (8th), and Brazil (9th).

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BRICS nations are important in the global natural gas industry.

Top natural gas producers in BRICS include Russia (2nd), Iran (3rd), China (8th), the UAE (10th), Indonesia (11th), and Malaysia (15th).

When it comes to strategic minerals, BRICS is, again, highly influential.

BRICS countries are among the world’s leading producers of iron ore, including Brazil (2nd), China (3rd), India (4th), Russia (5th), South Africa (8th), Kazakhstan (9th), and Iran (10th).

When it comes to global copper production, BRICS members are also very important, including China (3rd), Russia (7th), Indonesia (9th), and Kazakhstan (12th).

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TRUMP VS BRICS & BRICS CURRENCY.

"We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy," Trump said on Truth Social.

Trump fears the collapse of the US Dollar and feels threatened by the BRICS group who challenge US dominance in global trading, markets and currency.

Many of these countries have sold their Dollars for Gold to avoid being targeted by sanctions in the future.

The primacy of the dollar in international trade gives the U.S. several advantages, including lower borrowing costs for the federal government and enormous geopolitical influence around the world.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a new international payments system at a BRICS summit, saying "the dollar is being used as a weapon," the Associated Press reported.

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TRUMP VS BRICS & BRICS CURRENCY

For years, the US Dollar has been the global reserve currency but now with BRICS avoiding the use of the currency it is a threat to the US Dollar, threatening a global shift in its use.

President Donald Trump has outright threatened BRICS saying he will place a 100% tariff on the 'Dead' BRICS group if they 'play games with the Dollar'.

In January, Russia said that talks on a common currency “have not taken place and are not taking place now.” Instead, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that BRICS nations were focused on joint investments.

Brazil, currently the BRICS president, won’t push for a common currency.

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TRUMP VS BRICS & BRICS CURRENCY

BRICS does not trade in the US Dollar, in an act of de-Dollarisation, they trade in each other's currency for example, if Russia and China trade commodities the currency used is the Russian Rouble ₽ and/ or the Chinese Yuan CN¥.

Each country in BRICS using other currency other than the US Dollar, is in an act called de-Dollarisation.

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TRUMP VS BRICS & BRICS CURRENCY

Some experts criticized Trump's threat to punish the BRICS, saying it makes the U.S. look weak.

"It isn't a good look, as it indirectly elevates the stature of a non-threat and suggests a lack of confidence in the dollar," Brad Setser, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former Treasury Department economist, wrote on X.

Trump's threat could accelerate a move away from the dollar by other countries, according to Setser, who said that an effort to effectively coerce countries to use the dollar "is actually a long-run threat to the dollar's global role."

"It makes the use of the dollar appear to be a favor to the U.S.," he added.

From Setser's comments here it is clear Trump wants to wage a trade war on the BRICS Nations despite the imminent threat it holds for the US Dollar.

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SO, IN CONCLUSION:

IS BRICS THE FUTURE?

The expansion of BRICS has sent a clear message to the 'western' countries, that despite the 'wests' best efforts to isolate countries such as Russia, China et cetera, is not working. These isolated countries have banded together and have created strong ties to combat this isolation.

It seems that the world is fragmenting into competitor blocks, BRICS vs Trump/ the US, EU vs BRICS, Trump/US vs EU. The geopolitical situation seems to be clear it is the East vs the West. The Eastern countries have rapidly caught up the western countries, causing a shift in power balance, the west no longer holds any cards to 'control' the eastern countries.

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IS BRICS THE FUTURE?

The eastern countries sees the power they hold with their commodities and now demand proper payment for these commodities from the west. BRICS countries hold most of the cards when it comes to commodities, they have realised this and have advanced enough to demand proper payment and respect for these commodities, this is a thing the west fears, losing control of money and commodity supply.

As well as this the west struggles to grapple with the idea of dealing with 'non-democratic'/ 'un-westernised' countries. The west now must deal with markets and power order that has not been made by the west.

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IS BRICS THE FUTURE?

For the U.S. and other Western governments, BRICS+ is a reminder that ignoring the essential demands of countries and peoples around the world for greater agency, influence, and power in the structures of global governance that shape their fate will end up with competition, defiance and lack of global cooperation. Dismissing or resisting these pressures, rather than engaging and, where appropriate, accommodating them, will only harden global divisions and in a way begin an almost 'cold war' division in the world yet again.

Overall, the expansion and strengthening of BRICS is very significant and is without doubt going to play a significant role in the future. I believe that BRICS will continue to expand and become stronger to combat the West's perceived hegemony (abuse of a dominant position) . It is a wakeup call for the West that they are not the only ones on the global stage and that further cooperation is needed.

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IS BRICS THE FUTURE?

The contribution of BRICS GDP to the world is significant and they are key in the balance of the world. I believe that BRICS is going to be a key player in the future of world order, if that is good or bad for western countries, they should not be ignored.

Western countries including Ireland need to decide if they will fully oppose BRICS and continue to ignore it creating a further divide geopolitically or if, they will be more open to BRICS.