US President Donald Trump has laughed off China’s plan to reduce the number of American films that can be shown there. Reacting to a question regarding China’s retaliatory action against his tariff moves and its impact on America’s cultural exports Trump said, “I have heard of worse things.”
China’s Curb On US Movies
The reaction follows the Chinese government’s decision to cut down its import from Hollywood. An official statement from China’s National Film Administration said, “The US government’s erroneous practice of imposing excessive tariffs on China is likely to further diminish the Chinese audience’s favourable perception of American films.”
It further added, “We will adhere to market principles, respect audience choices and moderately reduce the import volume of American films.”
Minimal Impact: Hollywood Experts
It’s not only Donald Trump who is laughing off China’s decision. Even experts from Hollywood say that China’s move will have minimal impact on the American film industry, citing the significant decline in box office collections from China in the recent years. According to China Film News, in 2024, 33 American films had a total box office collection of $722 million, accounting for around 58 per cent of the overall revenue from newly imported films. That’s less than a tenth of just the domestic box office (US & Canada) collection of Hollywood movies at an estimated $8.56 billion.
Looking at the global picture, China’s share in Hollywood’s revenue become’s even more insignificant. In 2024, the global box office collection of American movies was around $32.3 billion, according to a Visual Capitalist report.
The Tariff Tussle
Chinese action comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has slapped 125% tariff on Chinese imports and has accused it of showing a “lack of respect to the world’s markets.”, even as he has paused higher tariffs on other countries for a 90-day period. Retaliating to Trump’s tariff hikes, China has also slapped 84 per cent tariff on American goods.
