The recent visit of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to China resulted in over 20 new bilateral agreements, highlighting the prioritization of relations with China over the United States. Both nations are cornerstone members of the trade bloc BRICS, which openly desires to displace the US dollar as a global reserve currency. Lula’s policy shift towards Beijing and other authoritarian regimes has raised concerns among US officials and analysts, especially since Brazil will begin using the Chinese yuan instead of the US dollar in trade transactions. China’s heavy investment and Brazil’s willingness to move away from the US dollar and towards authoritarian regimes showcases the prioritization of BRICS, particularly China, ahead of its relationship with the United States. The threat of a weaker dollar to US sanctions is one of the potential security impacts, with almost half of global trade conducted in dollars and comprising 60% of total foreign currency reserves. Despite this, the administration of US President Joe Biden aims to show that the US is still the best country to align with compared to China.