100% tariff on foreign films: US hits Tamil cinema

Entertainment Oct 01, 2025

Tamil movies in the US just got a tough break—starting October 1, President Trump's new policy slaps a 100% tariff on all non-US films.
This means fan favorites like Jailer and Ponniyin Selvan could get pricier or harder to find in theaters, especially in cities with big Tamil communities like Dallas and San Francisco.

Ticket prices might follow

With costs shooting up, ticket prices might follow—making it tougher for Tamil films to compete with Hollywood blockbusters.
Smaller producers could struggle to release their movies internationally, pushing more new releases straight to streaming instead of the big screen.
For many fans and creators, that's just not the same experience.