Egg on Trump's Face as Tariff Pause Yields ‘No Trade Deal’

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With 90-day tariff pause expiring, U.S. stands isolated on trade front, no deal yet with India

By TRH Global Affairs Desk

NEW DELHI, July 7, 2025 — US President Donald Trump’s much-hyped “Liberation Day” tariffs, rolled out with promises of reshaping global trade in America’s favour, appear to have yielded little concrete progress as the 90-day deadline expires. Far from cornering global partners into new trade deals, the U.S. now finds itself increasingly isolated, with few allies and no major agreements sealed—most notably, none with India.

The tariffs, announced in April and touted as a lever to force countries to the negotiating table, were accompanied by Trump’s boastful claim that nations were “dying to make a deal” and would be “kissing [his] ass” to avoid them. But as French geopolitical analyst Arnoud Bertrand noted in a sharp assessment posted on X (formerly Twitter), the reality has proved quite the opposite.

No Deals, Just “Frameworks”

Three months on, the U.S. has not secured a single fully ratified trade deal. Instead, it has cobbled together tentative “framework agreements” with China, the UK, and Vietnam. Of these, the China deal is particularly telling: rather than showcasing American strength, it emerged only after Beijing retaliated harshly, banning rare earth exports and causing significant economic disruption in U.S. manufacturing sectors.

“Instead of countries begging for mercy, most just ignored him. Allies turned hostile. China made him blink first,” Bertrand observed, adding that the Trump camp’s predictions had completely misjudged the global mood.

Allies Push Back

Worse for the Trump campaign, traditional allies like Japan and the European Union have reacted with rare diplomatic fury. Japan’s Finance Minister Katsunobu Katō even threatened, in an unprecedented move, to sell off U.S. treasury holdings—a warning aired on national television. European officials have likewise condemned the tariffs as protectionist and counterproductive, with Brussels hinting at retaliatory duties if talks remain stalled.

“Many of these countries never even contacted us,” admitted Scott Bessent, a key Trump economic adviser, in a recent interview. That frank admission only deepened perceptions of miscalculation within Trump’s trade strategy.

India: The Silent Holdout

Among the most glaring omissions from any agreement is India—a country Trump repeatedly praised for its growing importance in global trade and geopolitics. Despite warming ties between New Delhi and Washington in recent years, India has yet to even sign a trade framework with the U.S., let alone a deal.

New Delhi has remained cautious, particularly amid the pushback from within the affiliates of the ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Indian officials have reportedly resisted pressure to rush into an agreement that might be seen as one-sided or that compromises its industrial or agricultural sectors.

If Trump fails to secure a trade understanding with India before the November presidential election, it would mark a significant blow to his narrative of “America First” dominance. It would also reflect a shift in how global players perceive American leverage: less as a commanding force and more as one among several power centers.

A Self-Inflicted Setback?

While Trump aimed to reassert U.S. trade dominance with a mix of tariffs and bravado, the outcome has been more of a cautionary tale in strategic overreach. China not only resisted but forced a tactical retreat. Allies didn’t line up—they stepped back. And India, despite years of strategic convergence, remains a question mark.

“Trump is the great revealer,” Bertrand concluded. “And in this instance, he revealed that America simply doesn’t matter much trade-wise for the rest of the world—at least not enough for them to lower themselves to kiss his ass.”

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