During the BRICS summit held at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a roadmap for the future of BRICS, which received approval from other participating countries. The BRICS nations emphasized the need for equal commitments and participation of all on the global level in decision-making.
Presenting the roadmap, Prime Minister Modi stated that Global South nations must also have the right to make decisions, as the current world power structure is pyramidal, where only a few countries at the top levels determine the fate of the world, while others bear the burden of consequences.
The BRICS countries also expressed concern over wars and conflicts. They called for global issues to be resolved in a manner that guarantees equal rights for all countries and allows them to participate in global decision-making, as well as respect their interests.
The BRICS nations sent a direct signal to America by expressing serious concern about arbitrary tariffs. BRICS criticized unilateral tariffs and non-tariff barriers. According to the BRICS position, tariffs create obstacles to world trade and supply chains, so no country should impose unilateral tariffs on another.
These countries condemned unilateral economic and secondary sanctions, calling them a violation of international law and harmful to development, food security, healthcare, and human rights. The declaration included a demand for the full restoration of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism in a two-tier format, including the appointment of new members to the appeals body.
BRICS supported Ethiopia's and Iran's attempts to join the WTO and mentioned China's zero-tariff concession to 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations.
The tariff provisions appeared in the BRICS declaration against the backdrop of America's announcement of imposing tariffs on several countries, including China and India. Some time ago, US President Donald Trump announced the imposition of significant tariffs on both China and India. Furthermore, America threatened countries purchasing Russian and Iranian oil, stating a 100% tariff on Russian oil purchases and cessation of trade when purchasing Iranian oil. It was these points that caused concern among BRICS countries.