The BRICS group of emerging-market powers–the acronym stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa–has gone from a slogan dreamed up by former Goldman Sachs head of Global Economic Research Jim O’Neill to a real-world club with growing economic and political weight. It almost doubled in size in 2024, pairing several major energy producers including the United Arab Emirates and Iran. US President Donald Trump’s policies and his “America first” mantra has created an opening for the group to position itself as a counterweight to Western-led institutions. But with a lack of shared values and identity, can it become a meaningful global force? Note: An earlier version of this video contained an error in the map labeling of UAE at 3:29. This issue has been fixed. Get the Balance of Power newsletter the latest political news, analysis, charts and dispatches from around the globe. https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/balance-of-power?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=originals&utm_content=newsletter&sref=bgqUwao5 00:00 Introduction 01:46 How BRICS got started 03:39 Economic power 04:48 Circumstance 07:00 Hurdles 08:14 What next #BRICS #Geopolitics #GlobalEconomy #foreignpolicy -------- Like this video? Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/Bloomberg?sub_confirmation=1 Get unlimited access to Bloomberg.com for $1.99/month for the first 3 months: https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions?in_source=YoutubeOriginals Bloomberg Originals offers bold takes for curious minds on today’s biggest topics. Hosted by experts covering stories you haven’t seen and viewpoints you haven’t heard, you’ll discover cinematic, data-led shows that investigate the intersection of business and culture. Exploring every angle of climate change, technology, finance, sports and beyond, Bloomberg Originals is business as you’ve never seen it. Subscribe for business news, but not as you've known it: exclusive interviews, fascinating profiles, data-driven analysis, and the latest in tech innovation from around the world. Visit our partner channel Bloomberg News for global news and insight in an instant.