The president of the United States, Donald Trumpannounced on Sunday the imposition of a 100% tariff to all films produced abroada decision that shakes the world of cinema and deepens its protectionist commercial policy. The measure seeks Protect the national film industrywhich faces what he defined as an “accelerated destruction” by other countries.
“I am authorizing the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to immediate Social truthyour personal platform.
Trump said competitors are offering fiscal incentives and subsidies to attract US filmmakers and studies outside the US, which in his opinion represents a direct threat to national security. “Hollywood is being devastated,” he said, and warned that the industry is “dying very quickly.”
So far, It was not clarified if the measure will include television series or other audiovisual formatssuch as documentaries or streaming platforms. Nor have details have been given when the new tariff or what conditions will be applied.
The announcement caused a drop in media and entertainment actions. Netflix yielded 1.9%, Lions Gate Entertainment sank 4.5%, Warner Bros. Discovery (Nasdaq: WBD) descended 2%, Walt Disney (NYSE: Dis) fell 0.4%, IMax decreased 2.1%, and AMC Entertainment (NYSE: AMC) lowered 1.3%.
The announcement occurs in a context of Growing commercial tensionsespecially with China, one of the main focus of Trump’s tariff policies. In April, the Chinese government reduced the number of authorized American films to project in their roomsin response to the tariffs that Washington maintains on Chinese products, which in some cases exceed 145%.
Hollywood, between two fronts and the Chinese challenge
The decision generated Concern among Hollywood’s great studieswho fear that the closure of the Chinese market – the second largest in the world in cinematographic income – and barriers to foreign productions They seriously affect their profits and limit international collaboration opportunities.
The American industry depends more and more global co -production, international distribution and access to key marketsso such a movement could generate adverse effects even for local companies themselves. In addition, the Chinese cinema boom and the growing self -sufficiency of other film industries They could further displace Hollywood productions on the global stage.
China, the main objective of Trump’s measures, had announced in early April that it would “moderately” reduce the number of officials officially released in their territory as one of their responses to tariffs imposed by the United States to their products, which reach 145%.
Beijing borders, through a quota system, the number of foreign films spread in their cinemas. A reduction in access to this market, which for the film industry is the second largest in the world behind the United States, could affect the income of Hollywood studies.
Cinematographic production It is a crucial part of the US economy, generating more than 2.3 million employment and 279,000 million dollars in sales in 2022, according to the most recent data of the Motion Picture Association.
Source: Ambito
