Senior diplomats from BRICS countries are gathering in Brazil on Monday to present a united front against escalating trade threats posed by US President Donald Trump's aggressive policies.

The two-day meeting in Rio de Janeiro comes at a pivotal time for the global economy, following the International Monetary Fund's recent downward revision of global growth forecasts, citing the impact of sweeping new American tariffs.

Representatives from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — the core BRICS members — will convene to lay the groundwork for the upcoming leaders' summit scheduled for July.

"The ministers are negotiating a declaration that reaffirms the centrality and importance of the multilateral trading system," Brazil’s BRICS representative, Mauricio Lyrio, told reporters on Saturday.

Since its inception in 2009, BRICS has significantly expanded, now welcoming Iran, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates into its fold. Together, the bloc represents nearly half of the world’s population and accounts for 39 percent of global GDP.

President Trump, since returning to office in January, has imposed a blanket 10 percent tariff on dozens of countries, with China facing tariffs as high as 145 percent on numerous products. In retaliation, Beijing has levied tariffs of up to 125 percent on American goods. Trump has also threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on BRICS nations if they are found to be undermining the US dollar.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira will host the meeting, which will be attended by prominent figures such as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Proceedings are set to begin at 11:00 am local time (1400 GMT), with a joint statement expected later in the afternoon.

Climate change will also feature prominently on the agenda, especially with Brazil preparing to host the United Nations COP30 Climate Summit in November in the Amazonian city of Belém.

Additionally, discussions are expected to touch upon the ongoing war in Ukraine, as Trump aims to mediate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

On Tuesday, the BRICS bloc will be joined by nine "partner" nations, including several former Soviet states, along with Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Nigeria, for extended discussions.