Summary
The 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum opened in Brasília on the 3rd, with more than 150 delegates in attendance. Traad, chair of the Brazilian Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, stressed the WTO-centred multilateral trading system, calling international trade a driver of poverty eradication and sustainable development. Wang Ke, vice-chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress, pointed out that the BRICS mechanism has become the 'backbone' of Global South cooperation and an 'engine' for growth, and that solidarity should be strengthened to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all countries.
Naimi of the UAE proposed using the BRICS mechanism to build win-win bridges. Mahumapelo of South Africa noted that the New Development Bank is financing projects in South Africa. Rachkov of Belarus expressed a desire to strengthen ties with BRICS countries, leveraging advantages in fertiliser, technology and machinery exports.
The forum concludes on the 5th.
Commentary
For New Zealand small and medium business owners, the BRICS Parliamentary Forum's emphasis on multilateralism directly relates to New Zealand's trade environment as an open economy. Although New Zealand is not a BRICS member, BRICS countries account for over 30% of global GDP, and deepening internal trade co-operation could divert the attention of traditional trading partners. For instance, the South African delegate's mention of New Development Bank financing may accelerate BRICS countries' self-built infrastructure, reducing reliance on third-party supply chains.
On the other hand, the forum's call for a multilateral trading system based on WTO rules aligns with New Zealand's pro-free-trade stance, and could provide external pressure for the upgrade negotiation of the NZ-China FTA. It is advisable to watch co-operation trends in agricultural technology and food processing among BRICS countries; if their regional supply chain closure trend strengthens, New Zealand's dairy and meat exports may face competition. However, in the short term, BRICS economic growth resilience still depends on global trade, so New Zealand can leverage this to promote high-end agricultural product brands, positioning itself as a 'complementary premium supplier'.
Keywords: BRICS, Parliamentary Forum, multilateralism, trading system, Global South, New Development Bank, China, Brazil, South Africa, international co-operation
Summary in Chinese | 摘要
第11届金砖国家议会论坛3日在巴西利亚开幕，150多名代表出席。巴西参议院外委会主席特拉德强调以WTO为核心的多边贸易体系，称国际贸易是消除贫困和可持续发展的驱动力。中国全国人大外事委员会副主任委员王可指出，金砖机制已成为全球南方合作的“主心骨”和增长的“发动机”，应加强团结维护各国正当权益。
阿联酋代表努艾米提出利用金砖机制架设共赢桥梁。南非代表马胡马佩洛表示新开发银行正为南非项目提供融资。白俄罗斯代表拉奇科夫期待加强与金砖国家联系，发挥化肥、技术、机械出口优势。
论坛将于5日结束。
Commentary in Chinese | 评论
对于新西兰中小企业主，金砖国家议会论坛强调多边主义，这直接关联到新西兰作为开放经济体的贸易环境。新西兰虽非金砖成员，但金砖国家占全球GDP比重超30%，其内部贸易合作深化可能分流传统贸易伙伴的注意力。例如，南非代表提及新开发银行融资，可能加速金砖国家基础设施自主建设，减少对第三方供应链依赖。
另一方面，论坛呼吁以WTO规则为基础的多边贸易体系，这与新西兰支持自由贸易的立场一致，或为中新FTA升级谈判提供外部压力。建议关注金砖国家在农业技术、食品加工领域的合作动向，若其区域供应链闭环趋势加强，新西兰乳制品、肉类出口可能面临竞争。但短期看，金砖国家经济增长弹性仍依赖全球贸易，新西兰可借此推广高端农产品品牌，定位为“补充型优质供应商”。
关键词: 金砖国家, 议会论坛, 多边主义, 贸易体系, 全球南方, 新开发银行, 中国, 巴西, 南非, 国际合作