New York: India chaired a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 26, where the bloc warned that rising tariffs and non-tariff barriers used as a “means of coercion” risk fragmenting global trade and marginalising the Global South.

While India’s chairing role was in line with its turn as incoming BRICS chair in 2026, it carried added significance amid US president Donald Trump’s sharp criticism of the grouping and his threat of additional tariffs on countries he has called “un-American BRICS states.”

BRICS originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, but expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, and in 2025, with Indonesia.

The foreign ministers said the “proliferation of trade-restrictive actions, whether in the form of indiscriminate rising of tariffs and non-tariff measures, or protectionism, in particular measures used as a means of coercion” undermined the global economy. They voiced “serious concerns” about unilateral measures inconsistent with World Trade Organisation rules and pressed for the urgent restoration of a fully functioning dispute settlement system. They also warned that “such practices that risk fragmenting global trade and marginalizing the Global South”.

IBSA's separate note

That warning was echoed in the separate communiqué issued in New York by India, Brazil and South Africa under the 'IBSA' format, an acronym for the three countries. The three countries said they were “seriously concerned” about the rise of unilateral tariffs and other discriminatory measures “used as a means of coercion,” warning that such steps risked destabilising world markets and undermining the multilateral trading system. Like BRICS, IBSA called for restoring a fully functioning WTO dispute settlement system and opposed unilateral environmental trade measures.

Trump’s tariff regime has already put heavy pressure on BRICS economies. Brazil and India are both facing 50% duties on their exports, with Washington tying New Delhi’s penalty in part to its continued imports of discounted Russian oil. 

South Africa has recently been hit with 30 percent tariffs after the United States rolled back earlier preferential access. China faces the steepest exposure, with duties that could rise as high as 145% if negotiations fail. 

After Rio

The twin statements in New York followed on from the BRICS leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro in July, which had also voiced “serious concerns” about unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures but stopped short of directly naming the United States.

The Rio declaration warned of protectionism “under the guise of environmental objectives” and backed WTO reform, while also condemning Israeli operations in Gaza and expressing concern over attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump had responded to the Rio meeting by threatening further tariffs of ten percent on BRICS members.

At Rio, India’s emphasis had been on terrorism and UN Security Council reform. The declaration condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam in April and reiterated support for the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, echoing formulations from earlier BRICS meetings. On the Security Council, the statement once again acknowledged the aspirations of Brazil and India but avoided endorsing their candidacy for permanent seats. Modi, in his intervention, argued that terrorism must be condemned consistently and warned against selective responses, while also backing a stronger voice for the Global South in multilateral institutions.

Lula's meeting on tariff 'blackmail'

The New York meeting also came weeks after prime minister Narendra Modi skipped a BRICS virtual summit convened by Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. At that session, Lula had railed against “tariff blackmail” and Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against “tariff wars.” 

Only India and Ethiopia were represented by foreign ministers, with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar stressing the need for shorter supply chains and cautioning against linking trade to non-trade issues. Modi’s absence had underscored New Delhi’s more cautious tone compared with the rest of the major BRICS member states. In New York, however, India, as chair, put its name to a stronger collective line against tariff coercion.

Alongside trade concerns, the ministers devoted significant attention to conflicts in West Asia. They condemned Israel’s strike on Qatar earlier this month as a flagrant violation of sovereignty and a breach of international law, noting that the issue had already been raised in an urgent debate at the UN Human Rights Council.

Gaza and Iran

On Gaza, the ministers said nearly two years of military operations had caused “unprecedented suffering” to civilians through deaths, destruction and famine. They called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the release of hostages and detainees, and unrestricted humanitarian access. The statement reaffirmed support for UNRWA and backed Palestinian-led reconstruction, linking stabilisation of Gaza to a political settlement based on a two-state solution within 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.

The ministers also denounced Israeli strikes on Iran launched since June 13, saying they had deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure and safeguarded nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency oversight. Such actions, they said, violated international law and threatened both people and the environment. They urged the UN Security Council to take up the matter and backed diplomatic initiatives to ease tensions.

The ministers also condemned Israeli strikes on Iran launched since June, accusing Israel of targeting civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards. They said the actions violated international law and urged the UN Security Council to act, while supporting diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions.

The IBSA statement mirrored these positions, condemning Israeli attacks on Gaza and reiterating calls for a ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops and humanitarian access. It also urged recognition of Palestine as a state and supported its admission as a UN member. 

In addition, IBSA ministers strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack. The ministers called for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist organisations, specifically naming Al-Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, along with “other proxy groups and their facilitators.” They also urged expeditious adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the UN General Assembly.

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