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Non-tariff barriers — lack of mutual recognition of standards, customs procedures, conformity assessment, regulatory divergence, and logistics gaps — are the central constraint on intra-BRICS trade in 2026. They are the anchor talking point at the BRICS Business Forum 2026, where Panel 1 is dedicated to reducing NTBs and building resilient supply chains.
Context: Two Decades of Rapid Growth
Intra-BRICS merchandise trade has expanded more than thirteen-fold since 2003, from USD 84 billion to USD 1.17 trillion in 2024, growing at an annual average rate of 13.3% — far outpacing global trade at 5.7% over the same period. Total intra-bloc turnover exceeded USD 1 trillion in 2025. This followed two rounds of enlargement: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined in January 2024, and Indonesia followed in January 2025 — bringing the bloc to 11 full members plus 10 partner countries as of 2026.
Key Numbers
- Intra-BRICS exports reached USD 1.17 trillion in 2024 (UNCTAD)
- Total intra-bloc turnover exceeded USD 1 trillion in 2025
- BRICS+ generates 24% of global exports and 27% of global GDP, yet intra-bloc trade is only about 5% of world trade
- The India-China corridor hit a record USD 155.6 billion in 2025, with India's trade deficit with China widening to a record USD 116 billion
- Average bilateral BRICS tariffs fell from the 10-20% range in 2003 to single digits by 2021
- Several smaller members now send over 30% of their total exports to fellow BRICS states, per UNCTAD
Deep Dive: Why Non-Tariff Barriers Matter More Than Tariffs
The economic case for tariff-based liberalisation is largely exhausted. Bilateral tariffs among BRICS members have already declined into single digits, offering only marginal gains from further cuts. The binding constraint has shifted to non-tariff barriers: lack of mutual recognition of standards, incompatible conformity assessment procedures, disparate customs regulations, and slow logistics infrastructure.
India maintains one of the largest inventories of non-tariff measures among BRICS members, alongside China, Brazil and South Africa. Each NTB adds transaction costs, forces duplicate compliance work, and disproportionately burdens SMEs — helping explain why intra-BRICS trade's 5% share of world trade lags so far behind the bloc's 24% share of global exports and 27% share of global GDP.
For context, intra-EU trade runs close to 20% of world trade, though the EU operates as a customs union with a single market — a depth of integration BRICS+ has not pursued. The comparison illustrates untapped potential rather than a benchmark BRICS+ has failed to hit.
This is why the Forum's Panel 1 on "Strengthening Trade" focuses on mutual recognition of standards, streamlined customs procedures, resilient supply chains, and industrial complementarities between members.
What This Means for Business
For exporters: the most productive area for capacity-building in 2026-2027 is compliance infrastructure. Early expertise in navigating BRICS-wide standards and certifications should translate into disproportionate market share as harmonisation progresses.
For investors: infrastructure and logistics deals are likely to feature prominently in Forum announcements, with cross-border payment systems and digital trade platforms attracting policy support.
For event participants: Forum discussions typically feed into the BRICS Leaders' Summit declaration, held this year on September 12-13.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is intra-BRICS trade in 2026?
Trade between BRICS member states reached USD 1 trillion in turnover in 2025 and USD 1.17 trillion in exports in 2024.
Which BRICS members trade the most between themselves?
The India-China corridor is the largest bilateral relationship within BRICS, at USD 155.6 billion in 2025. Several smaller members depend on intra-bloc trade for over 30% of their exports, per UNCTAD.
What are the main non-tariff barriers in BRICS?
Lack of mutual recognition of standards, incompatible conformity assessment, disparate customs regulations, and logistics gaps — these now cost more than tariffs, which have fallen to single digits.
Why does intra-BRICS trade only account for 5% of world trade?
Because the bloc's external economic weight — 24% of global exports and 27% of global GDP — is not matched by trade integration between its own members, largely due to regulatory divergence and logistics gaps.
What can businesses do to benefit from BRICS trade growth?
Invest in compliance capabilities across BRICS regulatory systems, build relationships at Business Forum side events, and monitor policy announcements on standards recognition.
Related Content
For the broader picture of India's chairship, see our pillar brief on BRICS 2026 India: Economic Power & the 18th Summit. Event details and the full agenda are on our BRICS Business Forum India 2026 page (Panel 1: September 11, 10:30-11:15 am, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi). Follow this bloc's cross-border development on our BRICS alliance hub.
Vietnam is the world's largest exporter of wooden furniture, backed by ASEAN Free Trade Area, CPTPP, and EVFTA membership that gives its exporters preferential access to major markets.
Key figures on Vietnam's furniture industry:
USD 17.2 billion in wood and wood-product exports in 2025, up 6% year-on-year
United States absorbed 55% of exports, worth USD 9.46 billion
Furniture market projected to grow from USD 10.47 billion in 2026 to USD 14.87 billion by 2031
USD 7.97 billion in new FDI for wood processing in first 10 months of 2025
Over 500,000 workers across more than 5,000 manufacturing facilities
Southern Vietnam holds 51.76% of the national furniture market
Growth concentrates in wooden living-room, bedroom, and outdoor furniture, with foreign investment shifting capacity toward Vietnam from regional competitors.
For exporters and investors, the data points to a supply base still absorbing capacity, with room to secure production slots and diversify sourcing.
India chairs BRICS in 2026 for the fourth time, hosting the 18th Leaders' Summit in New Delhi on September 12–13 under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
Key statistics on BRICS 2026:
- ~40% of global GDP (PPP)
- 45% of world population
- 23% of world trade and 24% of global FDI inflows
- 43% of global oil production
- 10 member nations plus partner-country participation
Ahead of the Summit, the BRICS Business Forum — organised by FICCI under the BRICS Business Council India Chapter — convenes on September 11 in New Delhi. Focus areas: cross-border payment rails, MSME market access, digital public infrastructure, and green transition finance.
Intra-BRICS trade approached USD 1 trillion in 2024, and India's chairship prioritises turning consultation into measurable integration mechanisms across trade, payments, and industry.
India — chairing BRICS in 2026 under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability" — enters its presidency with its industrial economy at a historic peak. Engineering goods exports hit a record USD 122.43 billion in FY26 (+4.86% YoY), the largest single component of India's export basket at 27.71%.
The machine tools market — a core enabler of industrial capability — is projected to grow from USD 1.83 billion in 2025 to USD 3.51 billion by 2034, at 7.49% CAGR. The capital goods sector already commands a USD 92 billion market and 12% of manufacturing output, backed by ₹1.25 lakh crore in Union Budget 2026-27 for eight frontier manufacturing schemes.
With manufacturing targeted to reach 25% of GDP by 2030 under Viksit Bharat 2047, India's industrial rise is a strategic anchor for the wider BRICS economy — culminating at the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi, Sept 2026.
Thailand's freight and logistics market — host of the 9th TILOG-LOGISTIX at BITEC Bangkok — is set to grow from USD 56.56 billion in 2026 to USD 75.47 billion by 2031, at a 5.95% CAGR. As ASEAN's principal multimodal gateway, the country anchors a regional market expanding from USD 305 billion in 2026 to USD 405 billion by 2031.
Manufacturing generates 31.7% of freight revenue, with the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) driving China+1 reshoring. BOI-backed EV investment reached 198 projects worth THB 137 billion (USD 4.1B) by May 2026, with BYD, BMW, Hyundai and Omoda now producing locally. Laem Chabang Port Phase 3 adds 7.1 million TEU in 2026, the 3PL segment advances at 6.32% CAGR to USD 7.43 billion by 2032, and Thailand leads ASEAN cold-chain growth at 5.1%.
Key trends: AI and IoT warehouse automation, AGV/AMR robotics, green logistics, cross-border e-commerce compliance, micro-fulfillment centres, and EV-linked freight — positioning Thailand as ASEAN's smartest supply-chain hub
Indonesia — Southeast Asia's largest economy and first ASEAN member of BRICS (January 2025) — hosts INTI 2026 at Jakarta International Expo under the theme "The Nexus of the Emerging Intelligent Era." Backed by Kadin Indonesia, the umbrella event unites 19 co-located expos, 1,200+ exhibitors, and 30,000+ visitors across AI, cloud, cyber and industrial intelligence.
Indonesia's digital economy is set to exceed USD 146 billion in 2025, and the AI market to reach USD 10.88 billion by 2030 — the country already leads ASEAN in AI startup capital (USD 542M by 2024). The data-centre segment grows from USD 2.81 billion in 2025 to USD 6.08 billion by 2031 (CAGR 13.7%), and cloud advances at 14.3% CAGR.
Key trends: hyperscale AI-ready data centres (Microsoft, Oracle, Edgnex USD 2.3B Jakarta), 5G rollout, data sovereignty, and BRICS-aligned tech partnerships — positioning Indonesia as the Global South's fastest-scaling digital hub.