Modi Dodges Trump’s Calls Amid Escalating US–India Trade Clash

By Staff, Agencies

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly ignored multiple phone calls from US President Donald Trump as a bitter trade dispute between Washington and New Delhi intensifies.

According to Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Trump attempted to reach Modi four times in recent weeks, but the Indian leader declined to take the calls.

The magazine did not cite its sources, and neither Washington nor New Delhi has confirmed the account. Still, the report added that “it is said on the subcontinent that Narendra Modi suffers from a trauma trigger called Trump”.

The claim surfaced just as the White House unveiled another round of trade penalties, announcing a 25-percent tariff on Indian goods—on top of existing measures that have already raised overall duties to as high as 50 percent. Washington said the move was a direct response to India’s increased purchases of Russian oil.

Japan’s Nikkei Asia previously reported similar accounts on August 24, citing Indian diplomatic analysts who said Trump had made “several attempts” to call Modi, only to be rebuffed each time—deepening the US president’s irritation.

On the economic front, Indian exporters are bracing for immediate fallout. Orders from the US are expected to contract sharply after the collapse of trade negotiations and confirmation of the steep new levies.

The first 25-percent duty is already in effect, while a second round is scheduled to take hold on August 27, according to a notice from the US Department of Homeland Security.

Trump, meanwhile, has continued to lash out at both India and Russia. Earlier this month, he told CNBC that their economies were “dead”, accusing New Delhi of “fueling the war machine” by bolstering Moscow through energy and arms purchases. “And if they’re going to do that, then I’m not happy,” he added.

The initial tariff increase was first announced late last month, with Trump framing it as punishment for India’s “trade barriers” and its expanding economic ties with Russia.