China Considering Banning U.S. Movies In Retaliation Against Trump Tariffs: Report
AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
China is reportedly mulling a complete ban on Hollywood movies as part of its retaliation against President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Bloomberg was first to report this week that CCP (Chinese Communist Party) officials are considering strategies outlined by two public figures, Liu Hong, a senior editor at Xinhua News Agency, and Ren Yi, the influential son of a former communist party chief. Hong and Yi cited unnamed sources when recently sharing these potential retaliatory moves on social media.
A ban on Hollywood movies would be part of the country’s larger response to Trump’s sweeping tariffs. China previously announced a 34% tariff on all U.S. goods in response, and President Trump since threatened to increase tariffs already imposed on the country by an additional 50%.
Box office revenue for Hollywood movies released in China has been steadily declining for years as the Chinese government has limited the number of films released and, at times, required edits and cuts to make the films fit CCP standards. However, losing the Chinese market would be a significant loss for studios. The recently released A Minecraft Movie made more than $140 million in its opening weekend in China, according to The Hollywood Reporter. More than $5 billion was made at China’s box office in 2024, a fall from previous years, but that number is expected to rise this year.
CCP officials are reportedly mulling either further limiting Hollywood movie releases or a complete ban on “the import of American films.”
Hollywood films are released in China through either a limited quota of 34 movies annually that are part of a “revenue share” between countries or through a complete buy-out agreement.
