Could Trump’s Tariffs Lead to China Banning Hollywood Films?

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Over the recent weekend, the Warner Bros. and Legendary production of “A Minecraft Movie” took over China’s box office and dethroned the local blockbuster “Ne Zha 2,” which had reigned for ten weeks with a gross of $2.11 billion. However, this victory might be temporary due to tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The potential U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods could increase from the current rate of 54% to a possible 104%, in retaliation to China’s reciprocal tariffs, as proposed by President Trump.

Reports suggest that China might respond with various actions aimed at the U.S., which could significantly impact Hollywood‘s ability to tap into the vast Chinese movie market, as the second largest box office in the world. This information comes from posts made by two well-known Chinese social media personalities, according to Bloomberg.

Liu, holding the position of deputy chief editor on the main site of Xinhua News Agency, shared the details shortly following China’s promise to continue battling until the end, which was issued as a reaction to President Donald Trump’s fresh tariff warnings.

Posts from two significant social media accounts shared similar content, attributing information about a possible response from Chinese officials to anonymous sources knowledgeable about the matter. They suggested various potential reprisals, one of which was “Possible restrictions or outright prohibition of movies originating from the United States.

In China, the government has complete authority over film distribution within its borders. Foreign movies can officially enter the Chinese market only through two centralized state-owned organizations. These films may be distributed either as part of a restricted quota of 34 “revenue-share” films, which allow studios to earn a portion of ticket sales, or under a “flat fee” or “buy-out” agreement, where the China rights are purchased upfront by a local company.

2024 saw relatively low earnings at China’s box office with a total of approximately $5.8 billion. However, analysts predict a significant increase of around 30% for 2025, bringing the total to about $7.6 billion. With several highly anticipated Hollywood blockbusters planned for this year, such as “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” and “Superman,” there’s concern that the lack of major releases could potentially impact these numbers.

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2025-04-08 11:46