• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem

1

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
Leadership

Disney CEO Bob Iger: A Trade War with China Would Hurt Us

By
Feliz Solomon
Feliz Solomon
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Feliz Solomon
Feliz Solomon
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 9, 2017, 4:42 AM ET
Premiere Of Walt Disney Pictures And Lucasfilm's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" - Arrivals
HOLLYWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 10: Bob Iger attends the premiere of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" at the Pantages Theatre on December 10, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)Jason LaVeris—FilmMagic/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

For those still weighing the upside of a potential trade war between the U.S. and China, Disney (DIS) CEO Bob Iger has joined the chorus of opposition to an extreme protectionist policy toward the world’s second-largest economy.

In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Iger warned that “an all-out trade war with China would be damaging to Disney’s business and to business in general,” adding that alienating the Chinese market is something “we have to be very careful about.”

President Donald Trump and a number of his cabinet picks have alarmed Beijing by labeling China as a currency manipulator and blaming the country for hurting the American manufacturing sector. During his campaign, Trump suggested levying a 45% tariff on goods imported from China.

Get Trumponomics Daily, Fortune’s daily newsletter on Trump’s Washington and its impact on business

Iger, who sits on Trump’s business council, said there are “things on the table to improve the trade relationship with China,” but “it would be unfortunate if we entered into a trade war that I think would do a lot of short-term damage to our businesses.” According to CNBC, Iger accepted a role on the council to bring issues like intellectual property, trade, and tax to the table.

For entertainment companies like Disney, China is becoming a vital market with a population of almost 1.4 billion people. Shanghai Disneyland “was one of our biggest success stories of 2016,” Iger told CNBC. The theme park has reportedly greeted more than 7 million visitors since it opened in June.

Beyond the well-being of his own business empire, Iger spoke out against isolationist leanings and immigration policy. Without directly criticizing the President’s recent executive order banning refugees and travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, Iger defended “openness” as an inherent quality of America.

“Where we are as a nation is due to having an openness to the people of the world,” Iger told CNBC. “It’s incredibly important. I firmly believe that we cannot shut our borders to immigrants.”

Iger has been the CEO of Disney since 2005. While he had planned to retire within the next two years, Iger recently announced that he might be open to extending his contract as the company does not yet have a successor.

About the Author
By Feliz Solomon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Leadership

buffett
SuccessWealth
‘The man who dies rich dies disgraced’: The last time America had such wealth inequality, Andrew Carnegie knew he had to give it all away
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
9 hours ago
Larry Page and Sergey Brin
SuccessBillionaires
Larry Page and Sergey Brin splash $225 million in Miami property as billionaires flee California’s tax—and Google is expanding its office there too
By Emma BurleighJuly 22, 2026
11 hours ago
Warren Buffett called Bill Gates’ Epstein ties ‘distasteful’ and pulled out of the Gates Foundation. Days later, a review revealed 30 meetings
North AmericaWarren Buffett
Warren Buffett called Bill Gates’ Epstein ties ‘distasteful’ and pulled out of the Gates Foundation. Days later, a review revealed 30 meetings
By Sydney LakeJuly 22, 2026
11 hours ago
Jon Gray leans while talking and sitting in a chair
SuccessCareers
Blackstone president Jon Gray tells Gen Z to think like founders at work—but a growing number are skipping the corporate ladder to become one for real
By Preston ForeJuly 22, 2026
12 hours ago
clark
North AmericaMedia
Ryan Clark found out he was fired live, mid-broadcast, on NFL Live as ESPN undergoes first major layoffs in 3 years
By Joe Reedy and The Associated PressJuly 22, 2026
13 hours ago
A woman observes stock trends on her smartphone while a computer screen displays financial graphs.
NewslettersCFO Daily
Beyond SpaceX: Why great IPOs depend on more than first-day demand
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 22, 2026
14 hours ago

Most Popular

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
10 hours ago
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.