China ready to work with BRICS countries to defend multilateral trade — Foreign Ministry

China is ready to work with BRICS countries to jointly defend the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a briefing, commenting on the White House’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods.

"China is prepared to work with BRICS countries, including those in Latin America and the Caribbean, such as Brazil, to jointly defend the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core and uphold international fairness," the Foreign Ministry spokesperson noted.

The diplomat also added that China "attaches importance to pragmatic cooperation with Brazil in aviation and other fields and is ready to promote such cooperation based on market principles."

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced the introduction of 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods starting August 1. Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has already pledged to respond in kind if the US President does not reconsider his decision by the end of July.