US President Donald Trump has issued a bold policy declaration, calling for a 100% tariff on all films produced outside the United States. Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that the American film industry is under threat from an increasing trend of studios filming abroad to take advantage of lower costs and foreign tax breaks.
Trump labeled the situation a “national security threat,” accusing foreign governments of purposely luring US productions with lucrative subsidies. He directed the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to start applying the tariff immediately. This proposal follows a pattern of aggressive trade strategies under Trump’s leadership, many of which have triggered retaliation from other countries. For instance, China recently scaled back its import of American films, seen as a response to previous U.S. tariffs.
Industry experts have raised concerns about the feasibility of such a move, pointing out that films, as intellectual property, don’t fit neatly into traditional tariff frameworks. However, Trump’s camp argues that foreign incentives have unfairly hurt domestic productions, causing a shift to popular overseas locations like Canada and Ireland. The policy is expected to ignite strong reactions from Hollywood and global trade partners alike.
