BRICS expands to 18 members for 2025.

 NOW HALF WORLD'S POPULATION, 41% GLOBAL ECONOMY

OVER 30 OTHERS INTERESTED IN JOINING

BRICS, originally organized in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, then added South Africa in 2010. In 2024 Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and United Arab Republic were added. This year 2025, 9 more countries were offered and have accepted partnerships with BRICS. They are Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. It is expected that around 30 other countries are under consideration for 2026.

BRICS is an economic union thats main qualification is the abstaining from using sanctions and participating in economic warfare. The escalation of the use of sanctions and economic retaliation and the motto of " you are either an ally or an enemy" has added to the attraction to this union. Many of these countries are already targets of some sort of economic sanctions or pressure to economic submission or social compliance. BRICS hopes to establish a trading group free from such methods and focus on mutual economic prosperity. Only time will see if that is possible.

They have up to now rejected the idea of any one country's currency becoming the new global reserve currency, but at present are doing business in their individual currencies between each other and continue to also use the dollar and Euro for business. They have successfully created a clearing option for transactions between member countries and are hoping to give many developing countries another option other than the present western dominated economic structure. 

They have set up commodity trading centers in Moscow and Shanghai that will trade physical commodities, rather than paper futures contracts that many feel are manipulated with short selling and other exotic trading methods. Up to now most commodities are priced by exchanges in London and Chicago. 

The western world often views BRICS as a security threat to the west's dominance in world affairs. Many of the BRICS members view it as more of another option and hope that all countries can participate economically without the use of economic pressure to control world politics.

The Ukraine war and the economic aftermath have propelled BRICS, in the eyes of much of the world, to be a necessary option to avoid economic manipulation and destruction by others. Despite warnings from the current major powers it seems this arrangement is moving forward, as many feel it is a necessity for their own economic sovereignty and survival.