US President Donald Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods came into effect on Wednesday, August 28, raising fears of unemployment and economic challenges for India’s US-oriented exporters.
The US president followed through on his threat to punish one of the world’s largest economies for its purchases of discounted Russian oil.
The 50 per cent tariff effective from August 27 hit major sectors, including textiles, gems and jewellery, shrimp, leather, footwear, chemicals, and machinery.
Indian industry bodies acknowledged the challenges but also exuded confidence that Trump’s tariffs would offer India an opportunity to strengthen its role as a resilient and future-ready trading partner.
Here’s how the world media reported Trump’s tariff against India
German media:
German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to take at least four phone calls from US President Donald Trump recently amid tariff war.
“There are signs indicating that Modi felt insulted,” FAZ reported, adding that PM Modi’s refusal to speak to Trump demonstrates the depth of his irritation and his caution.
US media
The New York Times explored “why India is so confused by the Trump administration” over US tariff rates of 50 percent. One of its headlines read, “India is ‘perplexed’ by Donald Trump.”
Meanwhile, an opinion piece in the Washington Post said, “Trump’s India tariffs are a strategic blunder. He should change course.” The report agreed with global affairs analyst Fareed Zakaria, saying, “This is a reckless and unnecessary assault on one of America’s most vital strategic relationships.”
UK Media
The UK-based Guardian said, “Trump tariffs are reshaping old alliances as the global south plots its own path.” It reported that in the past few months, “Trump’s tactics are starting to produce a discernible political counter-reaction.”
It claimed “the resistance shown in recent weeks by the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China” suggested “how Trump’s tariffs might in the medium term backfire…”
China
China’s Global Times mentioned that the “deepening rift between India and the US”, which it said, “has gone beyond tariff numbers.”
The Chinese state media qouted experts from the country as saying that “within India, the tariffs have not only stirred nationalist sentiment but also serve as a wake-up call, prompting the country to reconsider its diplomatic strategy. .