US President Donald Trump announces that he wanted to impose customs duties of 100% on films produced abroad and broadcast in the United States, invoking the protection of the national film industry.
Donald Trump said on Sunday wanting “Immediately start the process of establishing customs duties of 100%” On foreign films broadcast in the United States. This announcement marks a new step in its offensive economic strategy since returning to the White House. “The American film industry is dying very quickly (…) Hollywood and many other regions of the United States are devastated”he said on its Truth Social network.
Accusations against “hostile” countries
According to the American president, many countries would use “All kinds of incentives to attract our filmmakers and our studios away from the United States”. He denounces a “Concerted effort on the part of other nations”, that he considers serious enough to constitute “A threat to national security”.
With this in mind, Donald Trump announced the opening of an investigation, a procedure that he has already engaged in other sectors such as semiconductors or strategic ores. If this investigation concludes at a risk, it could lead to a presidential decree imposing these surcharges.
Towards a commercial escalation
This decision is part of a broader protectionist revival policy. Donald Trump has intensified in recent months of his business attacks against several major economic partners of the United States, including China.
Beijing had also reacted in early April by announcing a “moderate” reduction in the number of American films authorized in his cinemas. A decision-making decision for Hollywood studios, since China represents the second world market for cinema, behind the United States.
A vagueness on the modalities
For the time being, no details have been made to the way in which these customs duties are applied, or to the criteria for selecting the films concerned. This uncertainty causes doubt about the concrete repercussions for American distributors and spectators.
If the measure should be implemented, it could upset the world cinematographic landscape and cause commercial reprisals, in a sector already weakened by geopolitical tensions and mutations in the entertainment industry.
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