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The Guardian
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
China to restrict US film releases after Trump's tariff hike
Hours after Donald Trump imposed record 125% tariffs on Chinese products entering the US, China has announced it will further curb the number of US films allowed to screen in the country. 'The wrong action of the US government to abuse tariffs on China will inevitably further reduce the domestic audience's favourability towards American films,' the China Film Administration said in a statement on Thursday. 'We will follow the market rules, respect the audience's choice, and moderately reduce the number of American films imported.' The move mirrors the potential countermeasure suggested by two influential Chinese bloggers earlier in the week, warning that 'China has plenty of tools for retaliation'. Both Liu Hong, a senior editor at Xinhuanet, the website of the state-run Xinhua news agency, as well as Ren Yi, the grandson of former Guangdong party chief Ren Zhongyi, posted an identical proposal involving a heavy reduction on the import of US movies and further investigation of the intellectual property benefits of American companies operating in China. China is the world's second largest film market after the US, although in recent years domestic offerings have outshone Hollywood imports. However, Thursday's measure comes as a significant blow to western studios, with Bloomberg reporting shares of Walt Disney Co, Paramount Global, and Warner Bros Discovery Inc all suffering an immediate decline. Last week, the newly released A Minecraft Movie from Warner Bros topped the Chinese box office with ticket sales of $14.5m – around 10% of the global total. In 2024, the highest-grossing US film released in China was Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which took $132m in that territory, towards a global total of $572m. The first US film was approved for Chinese release 31 years ago, with the number peaking at more than 60 in 2018. Since then it has declined, according to data from the Chinese ticketing service Maoyan Entertainment, thanks to escalating tensions and the increased popularity of homegrown movies. Animated fantasy film Ne Zha 2, about a child battling monsters from Chinese mythology, was released in late January and has now taken $1.8bn in China, and $20m in the US. Its huge domestic success made it the highest-grossing film both of 2025 so far and in a single box office territory, as well as the highest-grossing animated film in history and the first animated film in history to cross $2bn globally. Sign up to Film Weekly Take a front seat at the cinema with our weekly email filled with all the latest news and all the movie action that matters after newsletter promotion However, many believed than the slate of upcoming Hollywood blockbusters would swell China's year-end coffers further, with Variety projecting a $7.6bn 2025 total, up significantly from 2024's $5.8bn. Films including Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Superman, Jurassic World Rebirth and Avatar: Fire and Ash, would have been conceived and edited with a Chinese release in mind.
The Independent
09-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
China reportedly considering ban on Hollywood films in response to Trump tariffs
China is reportedly considering a ban on all US films in retaliation for Donald Trump raising tariffs on Chinese imports. Earlier today, Donald Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs on dozens of countries, including a massive 104 per cent duty on Chinese goods, came into effect. Bloomberg News reports that in China, two widely followed bloggers with links to the local authorities shared identical lists of measures that could be introduced by Chinese authorities in response. These include 'reducing or banning the import of US films.' The bloggers, Liu Hong, a senior editor at the Xinhua News Agency, and Ren Yi, grandson of former Guangdong Province Communist Party chief Ren Zhongyi, both attributed the plans to sources familiar with the Chinese state's planning. In 2024, US films grossed around $585 million in China. This represents around 3.5 per cent of China's total $17.71 billion box office. A significant proportion of that haul was attributable to the success of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which made $132 million in China. The total US and Canada domestic box office for the same period was around $8.56 billion. When global tariffs were initially announced, Trump imposed a 54 percent tariff on Chinese imports. The White House now says that will increase by an extra 50 percent. The Chinese foreign ministry vowed its country would 'fight till the end' amid reports it is preparing for a US imports block, as it accused America of 'typical unilateralism and protectionist economic bullying.' Along with the film industry, the US agricultural sector could also be impacted, with China reportedly mulling a total ban on poultry. The animated blockbuster has already landed a release date for 37 territories across Europe, including the UK and Ireland. Ne Zha 2, made on an $80 million budget, has already become the highest-grossing animated film in history after making $2.06 billion in China, overtaking last year's US-made Inside Out 2, which made $1.7 billion worldwide. The film is a sequel to the 2019 fantasy adventure Ne Zha, which follows a young boy born with unique powers who teams up with dragon prince Ao Bing to fight demons and save the very community that fears him.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China reportedly considering ban on US films in response to Trump tariffs
China is reportedly considering a ban on all US films in retaliation for Donald Trump raising tariffs on Chinese imports. Earlier today, the White House confirmed that China will be hit with a 104 percent tariff rate from tomorrow after Beijing did not lift retaliatory tariffs on US goods. Bloomberg News reports that in China, two widely followed bloggers with links to the local authorities shared identical lists of measures that could be introduced by Chinese authorities in response. These include 'reducing or banning the import of US films.' The bloggers, Liu Hong, a senior editor at the Xinhua News Agency, and Ren Yi, grandson of former Guangdong Province Communist Party chief Ren Zhongyi, both attributed the plans to sources familiar with the Chinese state's planning. In 2024, US films grossed around $585 million in China. This represents around 3.5 per cent of China's total $17.71 billion box office. A significant proportion of that haul was attributable to the success of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which made $132 million in China. The total US and Canada domestic box office for the same period was around $8.56 billion. When global tariffs were initially announced, Trump imposed a 54 percent tariff on Chinese imports. The White House now says that will increase by an extra 50 percent. The Chinese foreign ministry vowed its country would 'fight till the end' amid reports it is preparing for a US imports block, as it accused America of 'typical unilateralism and protectionist economic bullying.' Along with the film industry, the US agricultural sector could also be impacted, with China reportedly mulling a total ban on poultry. The film sector represents a sizeable US trade surplus with China, as Chinese films do not tend to be as popular overseas. However, last month, some American-based Chinese campaigned for animated hit Ne Zha 2 to get an IMAX release in the US. The animated blockbuster has already landed a release date for 37 territories across Europe, including the UK and Ireland. Ne Zha 2, made on an $80 million budget, has already become the highest-grossing animated film in history after making $2.06 billion in China, overtaking last year's US-made Inside Out 2, which made $1.7 billion worldwide. The film is a sequel to the 2019 fantasy adventure Ne Zha, which follows a young boy born with unique powers who teams up with dragon prince Ao Bing to fight demons and save the very community that fears him.
The Independent
08-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
China reportedly considering ban on US films in response to Trump tariffs
China is reportedly considering a ban on all US films in retaliation for Donald Trump raising tariffs on Chinese imports. Earlier today, the White House confirmed that China will be hit with a 104 percent tariff rate from tomorrow after Beijing did not lift retaliatory tariffs on US goods. Bloomberg News reports that in China, two widely followed bloggers with links to the local authorities shared identical lists of measures that could be introduced by Chinese authorities in response. These include 'reducing or banning the import of US films.' The bloggers, Liu Hong, a senior editor at the Xinhua News Agency, and Ren Yi, grandson of former Guangdong Province Communist Party chief Ren Zhongyi, both attributed the plans to sources familiar with the Chinese state's planning. In 2024, US films grossed around $585 million in China. This represents around 3.5 per cent of China's total $17.71 billion box office. A significant proportion of that haul was attributable to the success of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which made $132 million in China. The total US and Canada domestic box office for the same period was around $8.56 billion. When global tariffs were initially announced, Trump imposed a 54 percent tariff on Chinese imports. The White House now says that will increase by an extra 50 percent. The Chinese foreign ministry vowed its country would 'fight till the end' amid reports it is preparing for a US imports block, as it accused America of 'typical unilateralism and protectionist economic bullying.' Along with the film industry, the US agricultural sector could also be impacted, with China reportedly mulling a total ban on poultry. The film sector represents a sizeable US trade surplus with China, as Chinese films do not tend to be as popular overseas. However, last month, some American-based Chinese campaigned for animated hit Ne Zha 2 to get an IMAX release in the US. The animated blockbuster has already landed a release date for 37 territories across Europe, including the UK and Ireland. Ne Zha 2, made on an $80 million budget, has already become the highest-grossing animated film in history after making $2.06 billion in China, overtaking last year's US-made Inside Out 2, which made $1.7 billion worldwide. The film is a sequel to the 2019 fantasy adventure Ne Zha, which follows a young boy born with unique powers who teams up with dragon prince Ao Bing to fight demons and save the very community that fears him.
Al-Ahram Weekly
08-04-2025
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
China considers banning Hollywood films amid tariff tensions - Screens - Arts & Culture
Responding to US tariffs on Chinese goods, China is reportedly considering several retaliatory measures, including a potential ban on American film imports in the Asian country, according to reports. On Tuesday, two influential Chinese social media figures, Liu Hong, a senior editor at state-run Xinhuanet, the website of the Xinhua News Agency, and Ren Yi, grandson of former Guangdong party chief Ren Zhongyi, indicated on Chinese social media that China might target US films. Their posts come as China prepares for a tit-for-tat response to Trump's proposed 50 percent import tax on Chinese goods, set to take effect on April 9. Both Chinese figures outlined potential actions, including reducing or banning American film imports. As the future of Hollywood films in China hangs in the balance, the outcome could significantly reshape the global film industry and US-China trade relations in the coming months. The Chinese market has been crucial to the global success of American films in recent years, and a potential ban or reduction in American film imports would deal a heavy blow to studios that rely on this market for revenue. Over the past years, China has emerged as a vital market for major studio films, with blockbusters such as Avengers: Endgame, Furious 7, and Avatar: The Way of Water earning hundreds of millions of dollars at Chinese theatres. This past weekend, Warner Bros. and Legendary's A Minecraft Movie grossed $2.11 billion over 10 weeks at the Chinese box office, dethroning the local blockbuster Ne Zha 2. In 2022, China became the world's second-largest box office, behind the US, with Hollywood films consistently performing well. China's retaliation against tariffs would potentially hurt American studios while also reaffirming the Chinese government's tight control over its film industry and its strategic use of cultural imports to align with national interests. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
