Brazil and India’s leaders have pledged to strengthen their relationship and increase cooperation.
In response to widespread US tariffs, the leaders of Brazil and India have reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and equitable trade practices, according to a statement from the Brazilian government.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke for an hour on Thursday to discuss the global economic climate and increasing trade tensions.
The statement indicated that both leaders emphasized the importance of “defending multilateralism and the need to confront current global challenges,” while also looking at ways to deepen the integration between their countries.
The discussions occurred after US President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods on July 30. He justified this action by citing the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of plotting a coup following his 2022 election defeat. Trump accused Brasilia of political persecution and labeled the BRICS nation a threat to US national security. Brazil condemned the tariff as an illegal attempt to interfere in its internal affairs, a stance supported by China, which criticized the US for “bullying.”
On Wednesday, Trump announced a 50% tariff on Indian imports, set to take effect in late August, citing the country’s oil trade with Russia. New Delhi criticized the move as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” and promised to protect its national interests.
Trump has repeatedly accused BRICS members of trying to weaken the US dollar and has threatened additional 10% tariffs. The economic group has refuted this claim, arguing that Washington’s own foreign policy is undermining the dollar.
BRICS, initially formed by Brazil, Russia, India, and China in 2006, with South Africa joining four years later, has expanded and now has a larger combined GDP than the G7.
Trump has also threatened broader tariffs on Russia’s trade partners to pressure Moscow into agreeing to a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. Moscow has rejected these threats, asserting that sovereign nations have the right to choose their own trade partners.
Lula told Reuters this week of his plans to propose a BRICS summit to coordinate a unified response to Washington’s trade pressure.
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