• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, April 9, 2025

Up until now the U.S. entertainment industry has seemingly escaped the drama of global tariff issues that Trump has dinged on the world. Is there any relief -- comic or otherwise?

TV news reports have concentrated primarily on physical products -- automobiles and consumer electronics. But consumer “services” could now come into view partly due to whatever retaliations a country feels the U.S. deserves in response to escalating rising tariffs.

Now China is mulling a ban on U.S. theatrical films distributed in its theaters. Right now, China represents a significant but not overwhelming proportion of international business (10%) for U.S. movie studio revenues.

But unlike trade in other products -- apparel, electronics, foods -- the U.S. film is one area where the U.S. maintains a sizable trade surplus with China. China-based films do little business in North America.

But consider this amid broader issues when distributing movies in other territories -- including the seemingly friendlier European, Asia-Pacific and Latin America countries. Could any of this affect and extend to major TV program sales to other countries, which could hurt foreign-owned TV networks/platforms or U.S.-based streaming platforms in those countries?

Netflix’s platform is in 190 countries, while Prime Video is in over 200 countries and Apple TV+ is in over 100 countries.

Smaller distributed premium streaming platforms from major U.S.-based companies include Peacock (primarily available in the United States and certain parts of Europe) and Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service, Max (in several European markets, including the Nordics, Spain, Portugal, and Central and Eastern Europe).

Initially, the Trump Administration aim is to bring back factories and production to the U.S. shores in order to manufacture content and sell that overseas. Timing issues aside, this move would not work in a vacuum. Everything in business can be connected in one way or another.

Countries that export a lot of goods to the U.S. -- say, coffee (Brazil and Colombia), avocados (Mexico); oils, pharmaceutical products, medical apparatus (Europe) or natural graphite, gallium, germanium (China) -- don’t like U.S. tariffs.

So much so they’ll start up reciprocal tariffs on U.S. produced library TV shows such as “The Bear,” “White Lotus,” “Handmaid’s Tale” or maybe streaming platforms like Disney+ and Paramount+.

Does anyone have a plan then? (Maybe a financially appealing "spinoff").