President Trump recently announced on his social media feed that the U.S. and India had agreed a landmark trade deal that would reduce tariffs on Indian exports. In return, India, said the U.S. President, has committed to stop buying Russian crude oil and open up India's agriculture sector to U.S. products. Quite amazing given that 1/3 of India's oil consumption is imported from Russia and over 60% of India's population works in the country's agriculture. Prime Minister Modi while praising the agreement did not confirm the details shared by the U.S., the Trump administration appears to be walking back the "...India has committed..." phraseology. So what gives? Has India really called America's bluff?

AJAY SRIVASTAVA

MR. SRIVASTAVA Founder, Global Trade Research Initiative (an Indian research group specializing in technology, climate change, and trade. He took voluntary retirement from the Government of India in March 2022, having served as an Indian Trade Service Officer. Ajay worked in trade policy formulation and WTO and FTA negotiations, being part of the Indian team negotiating FTAs with ASEAN, Japan, Korea, Australia, the EU, and others. He writes regularly for the Indian media including Business Standard, Hindu Business Line, and Times of India. He is the author of books such as 'Stop Talking, Start Exporting,' 'The GST Nation,' and 'Business Guide to FTA

Since 2009, China has been Brazil's biggest trade partner, by a large margin, followed by the U.S. However, Americans are more important as investors, and as a source of advanced technology, especially in military cooperation. Polls show that Brazilians admire the United States much more than China, but that they also believe that the Chinese government is more respectful of Brazil's sovereignty.

In other words, Brazil needs good relations with both China and the US, and it will be a rising challenge to balance this triangle in a more turbulent world.

A unique opportunity to discuss the triangular relationship between the US, China and Brazil, with Brazilian geopolitical expert, Mauricio Santoro.

Tan Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram bin Yaakob is the Ambassador of Malaysia to the United States of America. He is a highly experienced diplomat, with over 35 years of experience in public service.

He was appointed as an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1988 and held the position of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 6 January 2019 until 31 May 2022. Tan Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram was accredited as Ambassador of Malaysia to the State of Qatar, Ambassador of Malaysia to Austria and Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations in New York, United States of America.

Throughout his service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he held the positions of Deputy Secretary General of Bilateral Affairs, Director General of ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat (during Malaysia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2015) and Undersecretary of Multilateral Political Division. His previous diplomatic assignments included at Malaysia’s diplomatic missions in Vienna, Austria; Washington D.C., United States of America; and Beijing, People’s Republic of China.