BRICS Summit Ends With New Delhi Declaration Calling for Trade Reform, Avoiding Direct Criticism of US

The 18th BRICS Summit concluded in New Delhi on September 13 with the adoption of a 140-point declaration that called for reform of the global trade system and restraint in the Middle East but carefully avoided naming the United States as the source of economic disruptions or condemning American military actions in the region. The expanded 11-member bloc, which now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates alongside original members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, accounts for roughly 40 percent of global GDP in purchasing power parity terms.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the consensus document on Saturday after two days of negotiations that exposed divisions within the group over how directly to confront Washington's trade policies and its military posture in the Iran war. The New Delhi Declaration criticized "unilateral economic measures" and called for a greater role for developing nations in global institutions, but it stopped short of identifying specific actions by the Trump administration that have sparked retaliatory tariffs and disrupted supply chains.

The summit's most significant diplomatic moment came during a bilateral meeting between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who pledged to pursue "steady progress" in stabilizing relations strained by a deadly 2020 border clash. Xi told Modi that both countries "can learn from each other's strengths and achieve shared development," according to Chinese state media. The meeting marked the first substantive engagement between the two leaders since India and China agreed to disengage military forces from contested areas along their Himalayan frontier, though tensions remain unresolved over territorial claims in the region.

On the Middle East, the declaration called for "maximum restraint" but did not condemn the ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets or Iran's retaliatory missile and drone attacks that have struck fellow BRICS member the United Arab Emirates. The carefully worded statement reflects the competing interests within the bloc: Iran and Saudi Arabia have been adversaries for decades, while the UAE and Iran have been on opposite sides of the escalating regional conflict. The summit avoided taking a unified stance that could alienate any member, prioritizing cohesion over clarity.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin attended the summit virtually and used his address to advocate for faster cross-border payment systems and greater use of national currencies in trade settlements, a move aimed at reducing reliance on the US dollar. The declaration endorsed these goals, calling for "resilient critical mineral supply chains" and expanded cooperation on payment infrastructure, though it offered few specifics on how such systems would be implemented or what mechanisms would ensure their security and interoperability.

The summit's economic agenda was shaped by the ongoing trade war between the United States and much of the world, which has driven inflation and disrupted global supply chains. The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on imports from dozens of countries, prompting retaliatory measures from Canada, the European Union, China, and others. While the BRICS declaration criticized protectionism and unilateral trade actions, it avoided directly blaming Washington for the escalation, a decision likely influenced by India's desire to maintain its strategic partnership with the United States while deepening economic ties with China.

India's position as summit host put Modi in a delicate diplomatic position, as New Delhi seeks to balance its membership in BRICS with its role in the Quad, a security grouping with the United States, Japan, and Australia that is widely seen as a counterweight to Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific. Modi has walked a tightrope throughout his tenure, pursuing economic integration with China while maintaining defense ties with Washington and managing border tensions that periodically threaten to escalate into armed conflict.

The expanded BRICS membership reflects the bloc's ambition to serve as a counterweight to Western-dominated institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The addition of Middle Eastern energy producers Saudi Arabia and the UAE gives the group greater influence over global oil markets, while Egypt and Ethiopia bring strategic positioning along key trade routes and access to Africa's growing consumer markets. However, the diversity of the membership also complicates efforts to forge a unified policy agenda, as members have competing economic interests and divergent foreign policy priorities.

Critics of BRICS have argued that the bloc's influence is overstated and that its internal divisions prevent it from acting as a cohesive force in global affairs. The New Delhi Declaration's avoidance of direct criticism of the United States underscores these limitations, as members like India and the UAE prioritize their bilateral relationships with Washington over solidarity with more confrontational members like Russia and Iran. The declaration's emphasis on dialogue and multilateralism suggests that BRICS remains more of a platform for consultation than a vehicle for coordinated action.

Despite these constraints, the summit succeeded in demonstrating that the bloc can convene and produce a consensus document even amid significant geopolitical tensions. The fact that India and China were able to engage constructively, and that BRICS members with opposing stances on the Iran war could adopt a joint statement, signals that the group retains value as a forum for dialogue among major emerging economies. Whether it can translate that dialogue into meaningful policy coordination remains an open question.