External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar has said that BRICS must defend the multilateral trading system amid rising protectionism and tariff volatility.
“As rising protectionism, tariff volatility and non-tariff barriers impact trade flows, BRICS must defend the multilateral trading system,” Jaishankar said in a meeting of the BRICS Foreign Ministers in New York on Friday.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “When multilateralism is under stress, BRICS has stood firm as a strong voice of reason and constructive change.”
“In a turbulent world, BRICS must reinforce the message of peacebuilding, dialogue, diplomacy and adherence to international law”, he said.
US President Donald Trump has threatened BRICS members that he would impose an extra tariff for being part of it, and has separately, on other grounds, imposed total tariffs of 50 per cent on India and Brazil, and 30 per cent on most imports from South Africa.
While speaking of the risks BRICS is facing, Jaishankar did not name the US.
Ethiopia’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs Hadera Abera Admassu, who participated in the meeting, also proposed joint action.
He said on X, “I called for stronger collective action to tackle global challenges”.
“BRICS has a historic role to play in advancing peace, reforming global institutions, and in shaping a fairer, more secure world for the Global South”, he said.
Jaishankar also participated in the foreign ministers’ meeting of IBSA, the India, Brazil and South Africa group of democracies that are also emerging economies on three continents.
He wrote on X, “IBSA made a strong call for the transformative reform of the UNSC (Security Council). Discussions (were) also on IBSA Academic Forum, maritime exercise, Trust Fund and intra-IBSA trade”.
At the BRICS ministers’ meeting also UN reforms came up.
“Beyond the trade system, BRICS must also pursue with vigour a comprehensive reform of the principal organs of the United Nations, especially the Security Council”, Jaishankar told the ministers.
Technology and innovation will define the next phase of BRICS cooperation, he said.