Danica Davidson
May 5, 2025 
President Trump has announced new tariffs that could have a major effect on the anime industry: 100% tariffs on movies made out of the United States. President Trump referred to movies made outside of America as a National Security threat and propaganda. Here is the statement he put on Truth Social:
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 devastated. 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!
Media stocks quickly fell after the announcement. The White House put out a statement that said “no final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made.”
Entertainment news outline Deadline suggested other countries might react in kind by slapping tariffs onto American movies, thereby hurting Hollywood’s reach.
Nothing is really clarified on how these tariffs might function. Sometimes an anime might be primarily made in Japan, but can also have work done in countries like China, South Korea or the United States. Since the beginning of the tariffs, President Trump has changed his mind and changed policies multiple times. It could happen again with this.
A recent bipartisan resolution to block these many tariffs was ended by Vice President J.D.Vance. The tariffs are highly unpopular in Japan, and it’s possible that Japan could be the country hurt worst by the tariff policies. The likelihood of anime movies having 100% tariffs in the future would only add to this.
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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