Donald Trump’s New Policy Could Spell the End of Infinity Castle-Level Anime Profits
Donald Trump is vowing a 100% tariff on every movie made outside the United States, rolling out the plan on Truth Social. It’s only an announcement for now, but it would hit foreign releases hard—including anime juggernauts like Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle.
Well, this is a curveball. Donald Trump says he wants a 100% tariff on every movie made outside the United States. He posted it on Truth Social, and while it is just an announcement right now, the ripple effects would hit anime first and hardest. Which is wild timing, considering how big Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has been in theaters.
What actually happened
Trump announced a plan to slap a 100% tariff on all foreign-made movies. No policy text, no rollout details, just the headline. If he follows through, that would cover anime features right alongside everything else from overseas.
Why anime fans are already on edge
Infinity Castle has been a legit phenomenon in the U.S., the kind of runaway success people point to when they say anime has finally broken through theatrically. Fans were expecting more big swings to follow. Then this happens.
To make it messier, anime in U.S. theaters is still pretty new for a lot of people. For years it was limited screenings, odd showtimes, and blink-and-you-miss-it runs. Only recently have we seen packed houses on a regular basis. A 100% tariff is exactly the kind of thing that slows that momentum to a crawl.
What a 100% tariff could mean in practice
Quick plain-English refresher: a tariff is a tax on imports, and distributors almost always pass those costs along to audiences. With a number this high, the downstream hit is not subtle.
- Tickets and Blu-rays: could effectively double in price for foreign-made films if the full tariff gets baked in.
- Streaming: unclear. There are no specifics yet on whether licensing for streaming would get tagged in the same way, but companies tend to find a way to charge you for it.
And no, shifting production to the U.S. to dodge the tariff is not a realistic fix for anime. Making these movies stateside would be massively expensive, and you still end up with something audiences might not be able to afford.
The 'we have been here before' asterisk
Worth noting: there was a similar blustery announcement back in May (CNN flagged it at the time), and nothing materialized after that initial burst. This could fizzle the same way. But if it does not, brace yourself.
The timing could not be worse for anime
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has blown past the usual ceiling for anime theatrical runs. It is still selling out theaters, and as of now its sales have topped Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. To put numbers on it: Infinity Castle opened September 12, 2025, has pulled in $118,175,847 domestically, and $605,400,000 worldwide. If that pace holds, more records are coming for the franchise.
This is the exact moment the medium has been proving it can play on the big stage, not just as 'filler' side stories but as real event movies. A sudden price shock at the door? That is how you push people back to waiting for streaming.
It is not just Demon Slayer
Studio MAPPA’s Chainsaw Man movie just hit U.S. theaters too, part of a steady uptick in anime films getting wider and more confident releases here. A 100% tariff would yank the handbrake on that trend almost overnight.
Bottom line
Right now this is a post, not policy. If it stays that way, the anime boom keeps rolling. If it turns into an actual rule, foreign films in U.S. theaters could get a lot pricier, fast — and anime is the most exposed. Not exactly the sequel anyone was asking for.
Demon Slayer is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.