October 3, 2023

BRICS Summit 2016: Five Key Trade Takeaways

Alicia Nicholls

The BRICS grouping, comprising of the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, held its 8th Summit in Goa, India under the theme “Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions” October, 15-16, 2016. India currently holds the chairmanship of the five-nation grouping.

Here are the main trade takeaways from the Summit:

  1. Support for the WTO-based Multilateral Trading System

The BRICS leaders have reiterated their support for the rules-based multilateral trading system and the World Trade Organisation’s centrality. Leaders noted the increased spaghetti bowl of bilateral, regional and plurilateral trade agreements and advocated that these agreements should be complementary to the multilateral trading system. According to the Goa Declaration, BRICS leaders also encouraged parties to ” align their work in consolidating the multilateral trading system under the WTO in accordance with the principles of transparency, inclusiveness, and compatibility with the WTO rules.”

2. Continued support of Doha Development Agenda

Contrary to the G20 Statement where the Doha Development Agenda was essentially scrubbed from the trade vocabulary, BRICS leaders reiterated their support for advancing negotiations in the DDA, reflecting the sharply divided opinion on the future of Doha  which was demonstrated in the Nairobi Ministerial Statement. They also emphasised the importance of implementing the decisions taken at the Bali and Nairobi Ministerial Conferences and urged all WTO members to work together to ensure a strong development oriented outcome for MC11 and beyond.

3. Promoting BRICS Economic Cooperation

The BRICS leaders praised progress made so far on the implementation of the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership and emphasised the importance of the BRICS Roadmap for Trade, Economic and Investment Cooperation until 2020.

4. Improving intra-BRICS Customs Cooperation

The BRICS leaders commended the establishment of the Customs Cooperation Committee of BRICS and the signing of the Regulations on Customs Cooperation Committee of the BRICS in line with the undertaking in the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership to strengthen interaction among Customs Administrations.

5. Double intra-BRICS trade by 2020

In his plenary address, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on fellow BRICS leaders to double the value of intra-BRICS trade to $500 billion by  2020. According to Prime Minister Modi, intra-BRICS trade was $250 billion in 2015. He further noted that this target would require “businesses and industry in all five countries to scale up their engagement” and “for governments to facilitate this process to the fullest”.

The full text of the Goa Statement may be accessed here.

Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B. is a trade and development consultant with a keen interest in sustainable development, international law and trade. You can also read more of her commentaries and follow her on Twitter @LicyLaw.

caribbeantradelaw

The Caribbean Trade Law and Development Blog is owned and was founded by Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc. (Dist.), LL.B. (Hons), a Caribbean-based trade and development consultant. She writes and presents regularly on trade and development matters affecting the Caribbean and other small states. You can follow her on Twitter @LicyLaw. All views expressed on this Blog are Alicia's personal views and do NOT necessarily reflect the views of any institution or entity with which she may from time to time be affiliated.

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