German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), which analyzed the ongoing India-US tariff dispute, suggested that Trump’s usual trade tactics—complaints, threats, and pressure—have not had the expected impact in India.
“There are signs indicating that Modi felt insulted,” FAZ claimed. The newspaper added that Modi’s refusal to speak with Trump signals both his irritation and caution.
The report did not provide exact dates of the alleged calls, and the Indian government has not commented.
FAZ noted that perceptions of Trump in India have changed, particularly due to his friendly gestures toward Pakistan. Indo-US relations have become strained as Trump has repeatedly criticized India for its trade surplus.
On August 6, the US raised tariffs on Indian goods by 25 to 50 percent, citing India’s continued imports of Russian oil and petroleum products, which the US claims support “Putin’s war machine” in Ukraine. The tariffs are set to take effect on August 27.
Trump, on July 31, stated:
“I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together.”
Thorsten Benner, co-founder of the Berlin-based Global Public Policy Institute, shared the FAZ report on X, noting that Trump’s calls to Modi went unanswered.
The German newspaper reported that Modi is resisting US pressure to open Indian markets to American agribusiness while continuing oil imports from Russia.
Analyst Mark Frazier, co-director of the India-China Institute at the New School in New York, told FAZ that the US vision of an Indo-Pacific alignment, with India helping to contain China, “is falling apart.” He added that India never intended to side with the US against China.
FAZ highlighted that one-fifth of Indian exports go to the US, and the new tariffs could reduce India’s economic growth from a projected 6.5 percent to 5.5 percent. The newspaper also compared Modi’s caution to Trump’s earlier handling of a trade pact with Vietnam, which was announced publicly by Trump on social media before securing agreement.
“Modi doesn’t want to fall into the same trap,” FAZ said.
Frazier also noted that India shares strategic interests with China, including global influence and industrial growth. Modi’s upcoming attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin underscores the evolving relationship.
“India needs China more than China needs India,” Frazier said. “India’s shift is strategic, not just a response to US tariffs. With the US retreating, India and China share interests in global influence and industrial growth.”