Brazil’s Lula plans call with PM Modi on US tariffs

In a major sign of the growing global influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Lula da Silva plans to call him to discuss the high tariffs being imposed by the US on many countries of the Global South, including India and Brazil.

President Lula is also seeking more business and trade with India.

Even as Brazil faces a 50% tariff on its exports to the United States, President Lula da Silva is refusing to call US President Donald Trump to discuss the issue. Instead, the Brazilian leader has said he is looking forward to enhancing trade relations with countries like India.

On Wednesday, in an important announcement, President Lula said he would call Prime Minister Modi to discuss the tariff issue and to develop a common strategy to tackle the pressure coming from Washington.

President Lula’s call with PM Modi is expected to be followed by discussions with other members of the BRICS group as Brazil tries to buffer the impact of rising US protectionism.

The Brazilian leader enjoys great personal chemistry with the Indian prime minister, who has visited Brazil twice recently — for the G-20 summit in November 2024 and for the BRICS meeting in July this year. Brazil currently holds the BRICS presidency. It will be India’s turn to host the summit in 2026.

On Wednesday, in an interview with a news agency, President Lula said he saw no room for direct talks with President Trump, which he believes would turn into a "humiliation" for him. He also said that the president of the United States trying to dictate rules for a sovereign country like Brazil is unacceptable to him.

On the other hand, President Lula is quite optimistic about close relations with India.

During PM Modi’s state visit to Brasilia on July 8, President Lula said his country aims to triple trade flows with India from $12 billion last year.

Now, all eyes of the world are on the Indian prime minister as he receives an important call from a strategic partner.