Amid escalating global trade tensions triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50% tariff hikes, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (August 7, 2025). During the conversation, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the India-Brazil strategic partnership across critical sectors.

According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Modi and Lula agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, technology, energy, defence, agriculture, health, and people-to-people exchanges. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi wrote, “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.”

The leaders also discussed key regional and global issues of mutual interest and agreed to remain in close contact as the geopolitical landscape continues to shift.

This dialogue comes as both India and Brazil are hit with identical punitive tariffs—50%—imposed by President Trump. India is facing the hike due to its continued purchase of Russian oil, while Brazil’s penalty stems from broader political tensions and reciprocal trade policies.

Lula has been actively engaging with world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a bid to build a united BRICS response to Washington’s unilateral actions. Speaking earlier this week, Lula sharply criticized Trump’s approach: “What President Trump is doing is tacit — he wants to dismantle multilateralism and replace it with unilateralism.”

Highlighting the imbalance in global negotiation dynamics, Lula added, “What bargaining power does a small Latin American country have against the United States? None.”

Despite his disapproval, Lula emphasized his diplomatic intentions, stating, “I will call Trump to invite him to the COP, because I want to know what he thinks about the climate issue. I will call Xi Jinping, I will call Prime Minister Modi.” He also clarified that he wouldn’t contact President Putin, citing logistical constraints rather than political motives.

The Modi-Lula call symbolizes growing cooperation among Global South nations as they face common challenges under shifting global power equations.