BRICS members Russia and Iran announced that they have officially abandoned the US dollar for trade between the two nations. Russia reported that 96% of all cross-border transactions between Iran have been settled in local currencies, the ruble and rial. In 2024, the usage of local currencies between Russia and Iran is up by 12.4%, making 96% of all settlements.
Also Read: BRICS Determined to Trade In Local Currencies, Not US Dollar
“We (BRICS members Iran and Russia) have entered into a currency agreement with Russia and fully removed the US dollar. Now we only trade in rubles and rials,” said the Governor of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic, Mohammad Reza Farzin. However, both nations face sanctions as the White House has made it difficult to accept the US dollar.
In July this year, both the BRICS countries agreed to a currency swap policy signed by the Russian and Iranian central banks. They also completed the integration of Russia’s Mir payment as a replacement for the SWIFT messaging system and the US dollar. Russia also allowed Iranian citizens to withdraw the rial in ATMs across the country.
Also Read: Secret Metal That Helped Win World World 2 Is Now Controlled by BRICS
BRICS: Russia & Iran Sidelines the US Dollar, Trades in Local Currencies
While the US pressed sanctions on BRICS member Russia to weaken its economy, the Kremlin is bypassing the sanctions by convincing other countries to ditch the US dollar and begin using local currencies. The de-dollarization initiative is growing and many developing countries are now eager to join the bandwagon.
Also Read: BRICS Moving Away From the De-Dollarization Agenda
Read here to know how many sectors in the US will be affected if BRICS ditches the dollar for trade. The development will make the US dollar lose out on the supply and demand mechanism in the currency markets. If the US fails to export the dollar, inflation in the homeland could increase leading to high prices for daily-essentials.
