United States President Donald Trump has announced a 100% tariff on all foreign films, saying the move is to protect the American film industry from collapse.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform on Sunday night, blaming other countries for giving film producers better incentives than the U.S. and calling the situation a “national security threat.”
He wrote, “The American film industry is dying a very fast death. This is a concerted effort by other nations and, therefore, a national security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda.”
The president said he had directed federal agencies, including the Department of Commerce, to immediately begin enforcing the new tariff.
“We want movies made in America, again!” he added.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed the order on X (formerly Twitter), posting, “We’re on it.” However, no clear details were given on how the tariffs would be calculated or when they would start.
The announcement surprised many in the entertainment industry. Hollywood executives are now trying to understand whether the new tariff will affect streaming platforms like Netflix, or only movies shown in cinemas.
So far, the Motion Picture Association, which represents major studios in the U.S., has not released a statement.
Earlier this year, Trump had appointed actors Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson to lead a new team focused on bringing more film production back to the United States.
Trump’s new policy targets a growing trend in Hollywood where big film studios shoot movies in other countries to enjoy tax cuts and cash benefits. Countries like Canada, the UK, and Australia are popular locations for American film productions.
A report by research firm ProdPro showed that in 2023, nearly half of all spending by American producers on large film and TV projects happened outside the U.S.
In Los Angeles, film and TV production has dropped by almost 40% in the last ten years, according to FilmLA, a group that tracks filming activity in the area. California, once the top filming location in the world, is now ranked sixth, behind Toronto, the UK, Vancouver, Central Europe, and Australia.
Film industry leaders in Australia and New Zealand said they would respond to the U.S. move to protect their own local industries, which have hosted big productions like *The Lord of the Rings* and Marvel films.
But some trade experts fear Trump’s plan could hurt the U.S. economy more than help it.
William Reinsch, a former U.S. Commerce Department official, said, “The retaliation will kill our industry. We have a lot more to lose than to gain. It’s hard to make a national security or emergency case for movies.”
