Vietnam Joins BRICS as Partner Country Despite Risk of U.S. Blowback Amid Rising Tariff Tensions

Vietnam has officially joined BRICS as a “partner country,” the tenth nation to gain this designation under the bloc’s newly expanded cooperation framework.

The move, announced Friday by Brazil, which holds BRICS’ rotating presidency in 2025, is part of a broader strategy to bring emerging economies closer to the bloc’s vision of global reform and multipolar governance. But it also places Vietnam in a politically delicate position, as the United States signals tougher policies toward countries seeking alternatives to the U.S.-led economic order.

In its announcement, Brazil cited Vietnam’s dynamic economy and nearly 100 million-strong population as key factors behind the country’s admission. The government in Brasília praised Hanoi’s commitment to South-South cooperation, and sustainable development, and calls for a more inclusive international system — themes that have become central to BRICS’ identity as a counterbalance to Western institutions.

“Vietnam stands out as a significant player in Asia,” the Brazilian government said in its official statement. “The country shares with BRICS members and partners a commitment to a more inclusive and representative international order.”

The “partner country” designation allows Vietnam to participate in selected BRICS meetings and initiatives, including potential collaboration with institutions like the New Development Bank (NDB). The status was introduced during the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, as a way to bring more nations into the BRICS fold without granting full membership — a move that has dramatically expanded the bloc’s diplomatic reach.

Although Hanoi has not issued a formal response to the announcement, its recent foreign policy actions point to growing interest in the BRICS agenda. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the expanded BRICS+ summit in Kazan last October, and Vietnamese delegations participated in a June 2024 working-level meeting in Nizhny Novgorod, which focused on strengthening cooperation among developing countries.

Internally, Vietnam has also stepped up talks with the New Development Bank, which lists the country as a “partner and potential aspirant” for development financing. Unlike the World Bank or IMF, the NDB is known for lending without imposing strict political or macroeconomic conditions — a feature increasingly attractive to emerging economies.

But as Hanoi moves closer to BRICS, it risks running afoul of Washington’s increasingly confrontational stance toward the bloc. President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused BRICS of trying to undermine U.S. global influence and the central role of the dollar in international trade.

In recent months, he has warned that the United States would impose sanctions on any country that joins BRICS with the intention of bypassing the dollar system — a warning widely interpreted as directed at countries like Iran and Russia, but which could also implicate newcomers like Vietnam if they deepen economic integration within the group.

The timing of Vietnam’s admission is particularly sensitive. Trump has revived a wave of trade protectionism, threatening to impose steep tariffs on Asian economies — including Vietnam — that he claims are benefitting unfairly from U.S. market access while strengthening ties with America’s geopolitical rivals.

In 2024, the Trump administration placed Vietnam on a watchlist for currency manipulation and began reviewing its eligibility for certain trade preferences. The country has also come under scrutiny for its growing trade surplus with the United States, a factor that has made it a target of past tariff actions.

Officials in Hanoi have sought to walk a diplomatic tightrope, deepening ties with BRICS members while simultaneously maintaining strong relations with the U.S. and European Union. Vietnam has long embraced a policy of non-alignment, avoiding formal alliances and seeking to balance its relations across competing global powers. Yet its engagement with BRICS, especially in areas involving the New Development Bank or potential de-dollarization initiatives, may test that balancing act.

Vietnam’s entry into the BRICS ecosystem helps the bloc in expanding both its scope and influence. Since 2024, BRICS has admitted Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as full members, and created the “partner country” category to accommodate others like Belarus, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, and now Vietnam. These moves are part of a broader push to build a multipolar world order — one less dependent on Western financial institutions and political norms.

Vietnam, for its part, has echoed many of the bloc’s themes at global forums. It has repeatedly called for more equitable development financing, greater access to climate technology, and a fairer global trading system — positions that closely align with BRICS’ stated goals.

The country’s deepening bilateral ties with key BRICS members underscore this trajectory. In 2024, Vietnam upgraded its relationship with the United Arab Emirates to a comprehensive partnership. It also hosted Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for a state visit in April and has initiated trade and investment dialogues with both Iran and Egypt.

Though full BRICS membership would require unanimous approval by all existing members, a high bar that ensures no rapid expansion, the partner country status gives Vietnam a platform to gradually integrate into the group’s decision-making processes.

However, the extent of that integration may soon be constrained by the geopolitical cost of doing so. As the Trump administration becomes more assertive in its challenge to BRICS and threatens punitive action against nations seen as drifting away from Washington’s orbit, Vietnam’s leadership will have to carefully weigh its next moves.

In the short term, Hanoi may focus on technical cooperation with BRICS institutions and avoid controversial policy positions that could invite direct U.S. retaliation.