BRICS summit likely to sign two pacts for promoting intra-BRICS trade

27 Mar 2012 Evaluate

The fourth Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) summit scheduled to take place in New Delhi on March 28, 29, is likely to witness signing of two deals by the central banks of the five nations - Master Agreement for Extending Credit Facilities in Local Currencies and a Multilateral Letter of Credit Confirmation Facility Agreement. The two agreements will result in reducing transaction costs and thereby facilitating trade between countries.

The two agreements are enabling agreements, subject to prevailing national laws. However, the agreements are not binding. The user or the credit giver cannot demand a certain requirement of banks. But they do provide a framework, which subject to national policies can be put to use depending on what benefits accrue on a case-to-case basis.  The master agreement for extending credit in local currencies seeks to lay down broad parameters and guidelines to be applied by signatory banks to process local currency requests which will be agreed on bilaterally on the basis of a bilateral local currency facility agreement.

The pacts are expected to scale up intra-BRICS trade, which has been growing at the rate of 28% over the last few years, but at $230 billion, remains much below the potential of the five economic powerhouses. Further, the summit will also attempt to add greater political content to their interactions by discussing key international issues like the situation in Syria and Iran's confrontation with the West over its nuclear weapons.

On the issue of BRICS development bank being set up at the summit, officials have said that it is an idea that has been in the air for some time. In April 2011, the BRICS nations had agreed to grant credit to each other in local currencies. This was to be facilitated by the formation of a multilateral bank.  Though still in its preliminary stage, it is being seen as the first step of the developing economies towards challenging the grip of US and Europe on global financial institutions.

The acronym BRIC was coined by a Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'neill nearly a dozen years ago. It was to represent the four fastest growing economies - Brazil, Russia, India, and China. A year later South Africa joined the group and added the ‘S’.

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