Trump Shrugs Off China's Cutback On US Films Amid Ongoing Tariff Tensions: 'I've Heard Of Worse Things'

As tensions persist in the tariff dispute, President Donald Trump brushed off China's decision to limit the screening of American films.

What Happened: The China Film Administration confirmed on April 10 that it would be reducing U.S. film imports, as reported by Variety on Thursday. This decision is a response to Trump’s recent tariff increases on Chinese goods to 125%.

Trump, when questioned about China’s decision, responded with a laugh, saying, “I think I’ve heard of worse things.”

The China Film Administration stated that the U.S. government’s “wrong action” to impose high tariffs on China would “inevitably further reduce the domestic audience's favorability towards American films.” The administration plans to “follow the market rules, respect the audience's choice, and moderately reduce the number of American films imported.”

See Also: Obama-Era Treasury Secretary Larry Summers Rejects China ‘Cheating’ At Trade Narrative: We Get EV Batteries For ‘Pieces Of Paper’ — It’s A Good Deal

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Why It Matters: The U.S. and China have been embroiled in a trade war, with Trump recently increasing tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%. In retaliation, China has raised its tariffs on U.S. goods to 84%.

Hollywood films earned just under $600 million in China's $17.7 billion box office in 2024, a sharp contrast to the $8.6 billion generated across U.S. and Canadian theaters during the same period.

Stocks like Walt Disney Co. DIS are expected to draw attention due to their globally recognized intellectual property and a history of multi-million dollar blockbusters. Disney also operates a substantial merchandising and theme park business in China, which may face significant headwinds. Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. WBD is also exposed, with numerous international licensing agreements in China that could be at risk. However, IMAX Corp. IMAX may feel the biggest impact, as it generates 23% of its revenue from China — home to 45% of all IMAX screens.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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