China Likely to Ban Hollywood Movies as Trump's Tariff War Escalates: Reports

Bejing: China is reportedly planning to ban the import of Hollywood movies into its market. The move, though not officially confirmed by Beijing yet, is being seen as part of a broader retaliation strategy against what China has called "unilateral bullying" by the United States. Daily Mail has also reported that China is likely to ban US Movies. 

The development comes days after Trump proposed an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods, further intensifying the ongoing trade tussle. China has hit back strongly in words, warning that it will "fight till the end" and not surrender to what it called the “blackmail nature” of American diplomacy.

Xinhua-linked WeChat Post Hints at Countermeasures

The news of the film ban was surfaced on social media, a post from a WeChat account affiliated with China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. According to the post, Beijing is preparing six tough countermeasures against Washington’s tariff threats.  

Though the Chinese government has not made an official announcement.

Why Hollywood is in the Crosshairs

The proposed film import ban is aimed at targeting the American film industry, particularly Hollywood, which has a significant viewership in China. In 2024, US films reportedly made $585 million in Chinese theatres — accounting for about 3.5% of the country’s total box office collections, pegged at $17.7 billion.

Industry experts believe that a complete ban on US films could severely hit Hollywood’s overseas revenue, which relies heavily on the Chinese market.
 

READ MORE: US Stock Market Split as Trump Dismisses 'Pause' on Tariffs, Threatens 50% Additional Levies on China | Republic World

Besides banning US movies, China is also reportedly considering the following retaliatory steps:

• Hiking tariffs on US agricultural imports like soybeans and sorghum  
• Banning US poultry products  
• Suspending cooperation on fentanyl-related issues  
• Taking action against US firms in the service trade  
• Investigating intellectual property benefits of US companies operating in China