Filmmaker Kabir Khan has weighed in on US President Donald Trump's latest tariff declaration targeting movies produced outside the United States. Trump, who has been vocal about imposing tariffs on multiple sectors, announced that he intends to levy "a 100 percent tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States."
Kabir Khan Questions Feasibility
Responding to Trump's announcement, Kabir Khan expressed confusion over how such a tariff would even be applied. He told NDTV, "I have no idea what he means when he says 'made outside of the United States' because every second Hollywood film is shot outside of the USA, the VFX is executed outside of the USA. And tariff on what? The ticket price? His statement is too broad to be understood properly. Firstly, let's see if he remembers this tomorrow when he wakes up."
Trump's Tariff Plans
For the unversed, in a series of posts on Truth Social, President Trump argued that America's film industry has been undermined by international productions. "California, with its weak and incompetent Governor, has been particularly hard hit! Therefore, in order to solve this long time, never ending problem, I will be imposing a 100 percent Tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States," he wrote.
Trump claimed that foreign countries had "stolen" America's moviemaking business, comparing it to taking 'candy from a baby." The announcement comes amid ongoing struggles in Hollywood, which has seen steep declines in box office revenue, strikes by the Writers Guild and other unions, and significant job losses over the past two years.
Trump's tariff threats are not limited to the film industry. He has also announced plans to impose heavy duties on furniture imports, arguing that states like North Carolina and South Carolina have seen their furniture businesses decimated by foreign competition, especially from China and Vietnam.