Economist Challenges Narrative on US Trade Deficit, Cites Structural Weakness Over BRICS Strategy

Boris Kopeikin, chief economist at the Stolypin Institute, reframes the debate around the US-China trade deficit, attributing it to eroding American competitiveness rather than BRICS-led economic maneuvers. The analysis cuts against prevailing political rhetoric, emphasizing interdependence in global trade networks.

Kopeikin's remarks to Tass Agency highlight a fundamental mismatch: while Washington frames the deficit as geopolitical friction, underlying productivity declines in key US sectors may be the true culprit. This perspective complicates simplistic decoupling narratives.

The Stolypin Institute's assessment carries particular weight amid escalating trade tensions. Their data suggests BRICS nations remain critical nodes in supply chains that still feed American consumption - a reality making wholesale disengagement economically untenable.