INDIA and Brazil indicated over the weekend they would not be swayed by US tariffs into altering policies the White House objects to.

The rebuff from two major emerging economies and members of the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) group of developing countries is a setback for the Donald Trump administration, suggesting it will find it difficult to use trade penalties to dictate to the global South.

Mr Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on goods from India, with an import tax on top, amid last week’s global tariffs blitz. He cited India’s continued purchase of Russian oil and weaponry as reasons, though Washington has also long pressed for US agribusiness to be granted access to the Indian market.

Indian purchases of Russian oil have surged since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with New Delhi taking advantage of discounted prices, while Russia has for decades been the largest weapons supplier to the Indian military.

India’s Foreign Ministry said its relationship with Russia was “steady and time-tested,” and would not be affected by third-party threats.

Brazil was hit with 50 per cent tariffs last week, with the US president announcing sanctions the same day on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the prosecution of Trump ally and ex-president Jair Bolsonaro for allegedly plotting a military coup.

Washington slammed the “political persecution” of Mr Bolsonaro as among its reasons for targeting Brazil. But Mr De Moraes retorted that “the Supreme Court’s procedural schedule will neither be advanced nor delayed. The court will ignore the sanctions.”