Synopsis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reaffirmed their commitment to elevate the India-Brazil Strategic Partnership during a telephone call on Thursday. Modi recalled his recent visit to Brazil, where both leaders established a framework to enhance collaboration across various sectors, including trade, technology, and defense.
PTIPrime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call on Thursday from the President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with the two leaders discussing the framework for trade, amid United States President Donald Trump slapping a 50% tariff on both the nations.
“Prime Minister recalled his visit to Brazil last month during which the two leaders agreed on a framework to strengthen cooperation in trade, technology, energy, defence, agriculture, health and people-to-people ties. Building on these discussions, they reiterated their commitment to take India-Brazil Strategic Partnership to new heights. The two leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch,” said an official statement of Prime Minister’s Office.
In face of Trump tariffs, President Lula and PM Modi agreed in call to ‘defend multilateralism’. “We discussed the international economic scenario and the imposition of unilateral tariffs. Brazil and India are, so far, the two most affected countries. We reaffirmed the importance of defending multilateralism and the need to address the challenges of the current situation, as well as to explore possibilities for greater integration between the two countries,” said President Lula in a statement.
The development comes as Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday that he would initiate a conversation among the BRICS group of developing nations about how to tackle Trump’s tariffs.
Tariff heat on India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday he will not compromise the interests of the country’s farmers even if he has to pay a heavy price for it, in his first comments after US President Donald Trump’s salvo of a 50% tariff on Indian goods.
Trump announced an additional 25% tariff on the South Asian nation on Thursday, taking the total levy on Indian goods being exported to the U.S. to 50% – among the highest levied on any U.S. trading partner.
“For us, our farmers’ welfare is supreme,” PM Modi said in a function in New Delhi. “India will never compromise on the wellbeing of its farmers, dairy (sector) and fishermen. And I know personally I will have to pay a heavy price for it,” he said.
Trade talks between India and the United States collapsed after five rounds of negotiations over disagreement on opening India’s vast farm and dairy sectors and stopping Russian oil purchases.
The new tariff, effective from August 28, was to penalise India for its purchase of Russian oil, Trump has said.
The U.S. is yet to announce any similar tariff for China, which is the biggest buyer of Russian oil.