Sorry, BRICS Will Fail, and Fail Badly - Here’s Why the Bloc’s Economic Ambitions Are Doomed

BRICS nations face structural collapse as internal contradictions and external pressures mount.

Economic Disunity Dooms Collective Ambition

Divergent economic policies and competing national interests prevent meaningful coordination. Brazil's agricultural exports clash with Russia's energy dominance, while India's manufacturing ambitions conflict with China's industrial overcapacity. South Africa struggles to maintain relevance amid continental rivals.

Currency Experiment Faces Insurmountable Hurdles

The proposed BRICS currency lacks fundamental backing mechanisms and faces immediate convertibility challenges. Member nations refuse to surrender monetary sovereignty, making any shared currency arrangement functionally impossible. Existing trade imbalances would instantly destabilize any artificial monetary union.

Geopolitical Rivalries Undermine Cooperation

Border disputes between China and India, combined with South Africa's political instability, create permanent friction. Russia's international isolation limits the bloc's global engagement, while Brazil's alternating governments maintain inconsistent foreign policy approaches.

Western Financial Systems Prove Resilient

Dollar dominance persists despite BRICS rhetoric, with member nations themselves holding massive USD reserves. SWIFT alternatives struggle with adoption and security concerns, while Western capital markets continue attracting BRICS investment. The supposed 'de-dollarization' movement resembles more a diplomatic talking point than practical economic strategy.

Infrastructure Projects Stall Amid Financing Gaps

New Development Bank lending falls short of initial promises, with approved projects representing fractions of announced targets. Bureaucratic delays and environmental concerns plague cross-border initiatives, while recipient nations question loan terms and political strings.

Demographic and Political Time Bombs Tick

Aging populations in China and Russia contrast with youth bulges in India and South Africa, creating incompatible policy priorities. Authoritarian governance models conflict with democratic institutions within the bloc, preventing coherent long-term planning.

The bloc's failure serves as another reminder that shared resentment rarely translates into shared success—especially when everyone's trying to short each other's currency.

Here’s Why the BRICS Alliance Is Poised To Fail

BRICS countries are in a huddle after Trump imposed tariffs on their economies. Brazil’s President Lula da Silva held an online meeting with member countries to take on Trump’s tariffs, but the VIRTUAL meeting had no conclusion. They failed to address the elephant in the room, which is Trump and his foreign policy rhetoric. The failure to address the main topic reflects their political culture back home. They spoke about everything else except the point that they wanted to address: de-dollarization. BRICS is not brave enough in its stance and will fail at every step against Trump’s onslaught.

Coming back to Navarro’s statements, he’s right in a way. India and China have been at loggerheads for six decades due to the border dispute. In addition, China’s dominant stance in manufacturing has put India on the back foot. So much so that India’s Prime Minister has himself banned several Chinese products. He even urged citizens to refrain from buying Made in China products. Modi is now coddling up to China after the tariffs hit them hard. This is also a reason why BRICS will fail, as India will ditch China the minute the US removes tariffs.

Also, BRICS leaders are now talking big about Trump’s tariffs when they have themselves placed trade barriers for years. The alliance accelerated the de-dollarization agenda after the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Russia. The sanctions came after Russia invaded and waged war against its neighboring country, Ukraine. Despite all of the concentrated efforts to quash the growth of the US dollar, BRICS will fail and fail badly in its initiative.