On Sunday, May 4th, 2025, the President of United Stats, Donal Trump makes a bold announcement of imposing 100% tariff on all foreign produced moves coming into the US. The step taken by Donald Trump raises questions and worries for Bollywood industries. The United States’ sluggish move caused a trouble for Bollywood Industry since the Indian diaspora in the US significantly contributes to film’s overseas collection.
Let’s read what Donald J Trump tweeted from his account @realDonaldTrump
“The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A, are being devasted. This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda! Therefore, I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are Produced in Foreign Lands. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”
Whether this applies to independent foreign-language films intended for arthouse theatres and over-the-top (OTT) platforms, films that receive tax advantages from foreign nations, scenes shot abroad, or visual effects work done overseas after postproduction was questioned by the New York Times.
The steps taken by US President raised a question for the Indian Government, shouldn’t we take action to boost our film industry? If you see the Indian Film Industries are struggling since post covid, and its high time to act on it.
Check out the views of Indian Film Industrialist: (Source Hindustan Times)
Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi said, “It doesn’t make sense to penalize their industry; we should incentivize our own country. For instance, when the Russia-Ukraine war started, studios put an embargo on Russia as a market. They developed their own fraternity so well that now, their box office is 100% back to how it used to be before. And Hollywood is not getting a penny out of it!”
Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, said, “ALERT: Trump’s 100% movie tariff threatens Indian cinema. Trump’s 100% tariff on movies is a disastrous move. If this absurdity prevails, India’s struggling film industry will collapse entirely, with no one to save it. Indian film leaders must wake up, unite and fight this threat instead of chasing paparazzi and self-glorification.”
Shibasish Sarkar, President of Producers Guild of India, orates, “It won’t make sense for the Indian Government to counter tariff, it’s a wait and watch situation. The US government has done it to reduce dollar outflow for the film business.”
Shekar Kapur, Actor, opines, “Over 75% of box office of Hollywood films come from outside the US and significant part of the budget of those films are spent outside the US President Trump’s imposition of 100% tariff on all films imported into the US may encourage Hollywood to move outside the US! Quite the opposite of what he intended (sic).”
What’s your view on it? Does Indian Government should impose 100% tariff, the way Donald Trump di? Or we should just wait and watch? Please share your comment.
