How Trump’s 100% Tariff On Foreign Films Could Hit Bollywood?
United States President Donald Trump has announced 100 percent tariffs on movies made outside the country. The move is likely to impact the Indian film industry.
“Our movie-making business has been stolen from the United States of America by other Countries, just like stealing ‘candy from a baby, Trump posted on Truth Social.
Trump further said that California has been particularly ‘hard hit’ because of this, blaming democrat Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, for this loss, and called him ‘weak and incompetent’.
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“To solve this long-time never-ending problem, I will be imposing a 100 percent Tariff on any movies that are made outside of the United States”, Trump said.
Trump’s proposed 100% tariff on movies made outside the U.S. could affect Bollywood, with a higher cost for Indian films in the U.S. Bollywood films released in American theaters would become twice as expensive due to tariffs. Distributors may pass on these costs to audiences, leading to higher ticket prices.
It may result in reduced audience reach. Bollywood has a large diaspora audience in the U.S. (especially in New Jersey, California, Texas, and New York). With higher costs, fewer films may get released, and audiences may turn to piracy or streaming alternatives.
Various streaming platforms may gain from the recent decision to tariff movies. Platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu could benefit, as people may prefer cheaper digital access over expensive cinema tickets. Bollywood producers may push films directly to OTT release in the U.S. to bypass tariffs.
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The decision is likely to impact on revenue and global expansion. The U.S. is one of Bollywood’s biggest overseas markets. The tariff could slash box office earnings significantly. Smaller and mid-budget films would be the hardest hit, while only big-banner films (e.g., SRK, Salman, Aamir, or major franchises) may afford U.S. theatrical releases.
India could see possible diplomatic and trade pushback as a trade barrier, potentially raising disputes at the WTO or imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. media exports.
