Bollywood filmmaker Kabir Khan, known for directing films like ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan,’ ‘Ek Tha Tiger,’ ’83,’ and ‘New York,’ has reacted strongly to former US President Donald Trump’s shocking announcement that the United States would put a 100% tariff on all films made overseas. The statement, which is being seen as a move that could shake up Hollywood’s global business model, has left many in the industry confused. Kabir Khan too expressed doubt over what Trump actually meant, pointing out that most Hollywood films already depend on international locations and overseas work.
Kabir Khan questions Donald Trump’s unclear statement
Speaking to NDTV, the ‘Phantom’ director said he found Trump’s declaration vague and difficult to understand. The filmmaker shared, “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, and the VFX is executed outside of the USA. And a 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.“
Donald Trump blames overseas productions for industry issues
The announcement came through a series of posts on Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social. He argued that international productions have negatively affected the American film industry. Trump wrote, “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.”
Uncertainty over the legal authority for tariff
As of now, there is no clarity about the legal authority Trump would rely on to enforce such a sweeping tariff. Industry watchers note that even major Hollywood studios and streaming giants were caught off-guard by his statement. Trump’s tariff statement has left studios, streamers, and film professionals across the globe puzzled.
