BRICS Summit 2012: Inching towards a BRICS trade and investment agenda

This research paper analyzes the challenges and opportunities for establishing a common trade and investment agenda among the BRICS nations. It highlights the tension between complementary economic relationships—where China imports resources from Brazil, Russia, and South Africa—and conflicting national strategies to promote domestic manufacturing. The author suggests that BRICS cooperation should focus on resuscitating the WTO Doha round, engaging with China's shift toward a consumption-led economic model, and coordinating currency reform positions within the G20.

• The BRICS nations possess complementary economic relationships, with Brazil, Russia, and South Africa acting as major resource exporters and China serving as a primary demandeur of those resources and a source of manufactured imports.
• National strategies to promote manufacturing create friction, particularly regarding China's currency peg and the resulting influx of cheap manufactured goods into Brazilian and South African markets.
• China is attempting a historic transition from an export-led to a consumption-led economic model, driven by rising domestic costs including skilled labour shortages, minimum wages, and energy costs.
• The author proposes a three-part trade and investment agenda for BRICS: collaborating to resuscitate the WTO Doha round and exploring plurilateral negotiations; explicitly engaging with China's 12th Five year Plan and currency reform; and forming a common position on currency reforms and global economic imbalances for the G20.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2012). BRICS Summit 2012: Inching towards a BRICS trade and investment agenda. https://saiia.org.za/research/brics-summit-2012-inching-towards-a-brics-trade-and-investment-agenda/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. BRICS Summit 2012: Inching towards a BRICS trade and investment agenda. 2012. https://saiia.org.za/research/brics-summit-2012-inching-towards-a-brics-trade-and-investment-agenda/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=BRICS Summit 2012: Inching towards a BRICS trade and investment agenda |date=16 March 2012 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/brics-summit-2012-inching-towards-a-brics-trade-and-investment-agenda/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2012brics, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{BRICS Summit 2012: Inching towards a BRICS trade and investment agenda}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2012}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/brics-summit-2012-inching-towards-a-brics-trade-and-investment-agenda/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }