Modi, Trump May Meet at June 15-17 G7 as 18% Tariffs Cloud India-US Ties

11 articles · Updated · India Today · May 20

France’s June 15-17 G7 summit could bring Narendra Modi and Donald Trump together for their first face-to-face meeting since February 2025, with any pull-aside likely scrutinized for signs of a trade thaw.
Trade friction is the immediate backdrop: the US had imposed 25% reciprocal tariffs plus another 25% tied to India’s Russian oil purchases, though tariffs were later reduced to 18% after talks advanced.
The two leaders had aimed to double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030 when they met at the White House last year, but a formal deal later stalled amid the Iran war and a US Supreme Court ruling against global tariffs.
Political strains also deepened after Trump publicly claimed credit for an India-Pakistan ceasefire that New Delhi said was negotiated directly with Islamabad, adding tension beyond commerce.
A brief exchange in Evian-les-Bains would carry outsized weight because Modi and Trump have repeatedly missed each other at major summits, and the optics could shape the next phase of India-US ties.

As US courts invalidate Trump's tariffs, can any trade deal forged at the G7 actually survive?

While seeking a US trade deal, is India also working with BRICS to undermine the dollar's global power?

With the Iran war disrupting oil markets, will climate goals be the ultimate casualty of geopolitics?