Trade Patterns Between the BRICS and China: Complementarity or Asymmetry?

The research center on Political Economy of South-South Relations, at the BRICS Policy Center/PUC-Rio, has just released a study on “Trade Patterns Between the BRICS and China: Complementarity or Asymmetry?”, written by researchers Ana Garcia, Luma Gaspar, Bruno Peixoto, Camilla Souza, and Beatriz Jacuboski. The study was carried out in partnership with the International Relations program at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro.

The publication analyzes trade flows between China and BRICS+ member countries, highlighting China’s central role as the main supplier of industrialized goods and importer of commodities. The research examined data from 2013 to 2023, identifying patterns of asymmetric complementarity in South-South trade relations. Additionally, the study discusses the challenges facing Brazil’s BRICS presidency in 2025, which seeks to promote diversification of trade flows and reduce dependence on China.