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 allegedly attracting studios and filmmakers to productions abroad.
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" The American film industry is being devastated ," Trump wrote. " This is a threat to national security, and it's all propaganda! We want American-made movies again! " he said. According to the statement, he authorized the Commerce Department and the U.S. Trade Representative to begin the process immediately.
Donald Trump's tariff directly impacts anime films
Donald Trump's decision, therefore , directly concerns 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 anime imported for screening in American theaters could be subject to the new tariff, increasing licensing, exhibition, and distribution costs.
However , it's still unclear how the government will define a film "produced in foreign countries," given that many productions involve international teams and processes. Thus , in the case of anime, the impact will be immediate, as the rights are usually acquired from Japanese production committees.
The announcement comes as the anime market in the US is booming. Films like Demon Slayer: Mugen Train , which grossed over $50 million in American theaters alone , demonstrate the potential of this audience. Furthermore , the anticipated release of titles like Solo Leveling , Witch Watch , and the highly anticipated DanDaDan: Evil Eye , scheduled for June 6, could be affected.
Eventually , distributors like GKIDS and Fathom Events, responsible for the traditional Ghibli Fest , will also face challenges with the new tariff.
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Sources: Truth Social and Deadline
