The US government said on Wednesday (6) that there was “great progress” in the negotiations with the Russian regime to try to end the war in Ukraine, but reiterated that secondary tariffs against countries that maintain energy trade with Kremlin, as well as Russia itself, remain in the radar if there is no definitive ceasefire agreement until this Friday (8), the deadline given by President Donald Trump for the dictatorship for the dictatorship for the dictatorship for Russian ended the conflict that has been devastating the Ukrainian territory.
According to sources of the White House heard by the agency Reutersthe so -called secondary tariffs are expected to directly reach the main economies they continue buying oil, diesel and derived from the Vladimir Putin regime, indirectly supporting the Russian war machine. Among the most exposed targets may be the main members of the BRICS: China, India and Brazil. Türkiye, Vietnam, Belarus, Hungary, Slovakia, Azerbaijan, Malaysia and other partners in Central Asia can also be affected.
In 2024, according to information from the United Nations Commercial Database, conveyed by the magazine TimeChina was the largest importer of Russian oil, with about $ 62.5 billion in purchases. In all, the Chinese imported more than $ 128 billion of Russian products. In second place comes India, which acquired $ 52.7 billion only in oil and Russian derivatives.
In turn, Turkey imported $ 44 billion in Russian products. Brazil registered about US $ 11.6 billion in imports from Russia, especially the energy sector: according to the think tank Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), 39.1% of all diesel acquired by the country in the first half of this year had Russian origin. Brazil is currently the second largest buyer of Russian diesel.
In addition to the countries mentioned above, Vietnam has also recently made its first major Russian NAFTA purchase in June, consolidating itself as a new Russian customer that can enter the Washington secondary rates. Hungary, Slovakia, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Belarus are also among the main Russian buyers in different volumes.
Currently, China and Brazil are already targeting high tariffs imposed by the United States and may face additional increases at these rates if new commercial sanctions are implemented.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump made it clear that he is not bluffing on expanding tariffs against countries that, even indirectly, support Russian war power. After alert days, his administration announced an increase of 25%in India products rates, raising the total rate to Indians to 50%, as New Delhi was already facing a 25%tax. The measure was adopted after India refused to interrupt Russian oil purchases.
During a press conference at the White House on Wednesday, Trump increased pressure on all the other major Russian energy buyers, warning that both tariffs and sanctions can be imposed on any nation that maintains significant oil imports or derivatives of Moscow.
“Everyone agrees that this war needs to come to an end, and we will work for it in the coming days and weeks,” said the president, noting that the negotiations “are doing well”, but without presenting concrete details about advances in peace conversations. The White House strategy at this time is to stifle Kremlin’s main sources of recipes to force Putin to agree with a quick solution to the Ukraine conflict
Brazil’s dependence on Russian inputs, such as diesel and fertilizers, places the country in a vulnerability position in the face of possible records on exports to the US. Brazil is now facing the 50% rate against products such as coffee, textiles, sugar, shoes and beef – if Trump applies more rates due to the purchase of Russian inputs, the country’s situation can be even more sensitive in international trade. According to experts, quickly replacing Russian suppliers would be a complex task for Brazil and with a high impact on internal costs, especially for agribusiness and transportation.
While negotiations follow, Washington still maintains the rates ready to be triggered if there is no ceasefire agreement until Friday. Countries considered “indirect funders” of the Russian war effort may face even greater barriers in trade with the United States – and Brazil, along with China, India and others, is at the center of this new chapter.
