Brazil’s Lula, PM Modi Vow to ‘Defend Multilateralism’ In Hour-Long Call Amid Trump’s Tariff War

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emphasised the significance of multilateralism and the need for cooperation in addressing trade challenges.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. (Image: @narendramodi/ X)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke on phone on Thursday amid US President Donald Trump’s tariff war against both nations. During the call, which lasted an hour, the two nations reaffirmed the importance of defending multilateralism and the need to address the challenges stemming from the unilateral tariffs.
In a post X, Lula said, “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.”
Modi and Lula also discussed outcomes of the State visit that Prime Minister Modi made to Brazil on July 8. He also confirmed a State visit from Brazil to India early next year. “As a preparatory step for the visit, we agreed that Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin will travel to India next October, on the occasion of the Trade Monitoring Mechanism meeting. The delegation will include Brazilian ministers and businesspeople to discuss cooperation in the areas of trade, defense, energy, critical minerals, health, and digital inclusion,” the Brazilian President said.

India and Brazil also recalled the goal of increasing bilateral trade to over US$ 20 billion by 2030 and the successes of the BRICS Summit in Brazil, among other things.
Later, Modi in a post on X said, “Had a good conversation with President Lula. Thanked him for making my visit to Brazil memorable and meaningful. We are committed to deepening our Strategic Partnership including in trade, energy, tech, defence, health and more. A strong, people-centric partnership between Global South nations benefits everyone.”

India, Brazil hit hardest by Trump’s tariffs

Just a day ago, the Brazilian president told Reuters in an interview that he was planning to ring PM Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and other leaders of BRICS to discuss the possibility of a joint statement on Trump’s tariffs. When Trump slapped tariffs on Brazil last month, Lula had made it clear that he will not take directions from a “gringo”.
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