BRICS declaration balances tariffs, sanctions and West Asia concerns: GTRI

Source: Business Standard | Original Published At: 2026-09-14 04:28:41 UTC

Key Points

• The New Delhi Declaration adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit criticised tariffs, unilateral sanctions and carbon-border measures associated with Western countries without naming them.
• Global Trade Research Initiative founder Ajay Srivastava said the language reflects a diplomatic effort to address concerns without triggering direct confrontation with the West.
• The declaration calls for restoring the WTO's two-tier dispute-settlement system, which Srivastava said is primarily a reference to the United States blocking Appellate Body appointments since December 2019.
• It opposes unilateral, punitive, discriminatory and protectionist carbon-border measures, interpreted as criticism of the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
• The declaration condemns unilateral economic and secondary sanctions, with Srivastava linking the language to US and European sanctions on Russia and Iran and their effects on third countries.
• On West Asia, the declaration calls for maximum restraint, protection of civilians, sovereignty, dialogue, and uninterrupted trade, supply chains and energy flows without explicitly naming the United States, Israel or Iran.
• Srivastava described the consensus on the West Asia language as a diplomatic success for India given the differing positions within the expanded BRICS grouping.