President Donald Trump surprised the film industry by announcing his intention to impose a 100% tariff on films produced outside the United States . In a post on Truth Social , Trump justified the decision by saying that the American film industry is " dying rapidly " due to incentives from other countries, which are attracting studios and filmmakers to productions abroad.
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“ The U.S. film industry is being devastated ,” Trump wrote. “ This is a national security threat, and it’s all propaganda! We want American-made movies again! ” he stated. According to the statement, he authorized the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to begin the process immediately.
Donald Trump's tariffs directly impact anime films
Donald Trump's decision, therefore , directly worries anime fans and American distributors. After all, the vast majority of anime films are produced almost entirely in Japan and other Asian countries. Thus , any import of anime for exhibition in American cinemas may be subject to the new tariff, increasing licensing, exhibition, and distribution costs.
However , it is still unclear how the government will define a film "produced in foreign lands," given that many productions involve international teams and processes. Thus , in the case of anime, the impact will be immediate, since the rights are usually acquired from Japanese production committees.
The announcement comes at a time when the anime market is booming in the US. Films like Demon Slayer: Mugen Train , which grossed over $50 million in American theaters alone , demonstrate the potential of this audience. Furthermore , the early release of titles such as Solo Leveling , Witch Watch , and the highly anticipated DanDaDan: Evil Eye , scheduled for June 6th, could be affected.
Eventually , distributors like GKIDS and Fathom Events, responsible for the traditional Ghibli Fest , will also face challenges with the new pricing.
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Sources: Truth Social and Deadline
