Trump plans on imposing 100 percent tariff on non-US movies
(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump has declared a 100% tariff on all foreign-made films, marking a significant expansion of his protectionist trade policies into the entertainment industry. Posting on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump argued that foreign nations are undermining the American film sector by offering generous incentives to attract U.S. productions abroad, contributing to what he called the industry’s “very fast death.”
This move follows the rollout of Trump’s wide-ranging ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs on April 2, which affect more than 90 trading partners. While many of those tariffs were temporarily paused for 90 days, a 10% base rate remains active. China was excluded from the pause and faces a steep 145% tariff on imports, prompting Beijing to retaliate with 125% tariffs and export controls targeting U.S. goods.
Trump said he had instructed federal agencies, including the Commerce Department, to enforce the new film tariff immediately. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed the order via a post on X, though it remains unclear whether the policy will impact only foreign studios or also U.S. productions filmed overseas.
Labeling foreign film production a national security issue, Trump claimed other countries use cinema as a form of “messaging and propaganda,” declaring, “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”
His announcement followed meetings at Mar-a-Lago with actor Jon Voight and his manager Steven Paul, who reportedly pitched ideas for increasing federal tax incentives to promote domestic film and TV production. Earlier this year, Trump appointed Voight, along with actors Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone, as special ambassadors to Hollywood to help stimulate job growth in the entertainment sector.
The U.S. has seen a sharp decline in local film shoots, especially in Los Angeles, where production activity has dropped nearly 40% over the past decade, according to FilmLA. Countries such as Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand have lured productions away with lucrative tax breaks.
Analysts warn Trump’s policy could backfire. China, for example, recently reduced its import quota for Hollywood films in response to his broader trade crackdown. William Reinsch, a former Commerce official, cautioned that the U.S. has more to lose than gain from such a move, especially given the difficulty of framing film tariffs as a national security issue.
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