Trump called four times amid tariff dispute, PM Modi did not talk

New Delhi: Ever since US President Donald Trump announced 50 percent tariff on India, the relations between the two countries have become strained. Meanwhile, a German newspaper has claimed that Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi four times amid the tariff dispute, but PM Modi refused to talk to him.

German newspaper FAZ has claimed that PM Modi is angry with US President Trump for calling India a dead economy. Trump’s tariff has soured the 25-year-old India-US relations. The US has imposed a 50 percent tariff on India, which is the highest for any country other than Brazil. The US has also imposed a fine on India for buying crude oil from Russia. FAZ claims that Trump called PM Modi four times in recent weeks, but he refused to talk.

US President Donald Trump said on July 31, “I don’t care what India does to Russia. Together they can bring down their dead economies. We have done very little trade with India, their tariffs are very high, which is one of the countries with the highest tariffs in the world.” The German newspaper has claimed that PM Modi is angry with Trump’s comment.

The German newspaper claims that Trump tried to persuade PM Modi several times after this. It said that India is currently taking very cautious steps. According to the report, PM Modi is also opposing Trump’s pressure to open India’s market for American agricultural business. US President Donald Trump has issued a notice to impose 50 percent tariff on India. It has been told that the new tariff system will come into effect from 12.01 am on August 27.