Trump orders ‘100% tariff’ on all movies produced abroad
[WASHINGTON] President Donald Trump said on Sunday (May 4) he was ordering new tariffs on all films made outside the United States, claiming Hollywood was being “devastated” by a trend of US film-makers and studios working abroad.
He announced a 100 per cent tariff on such movies, saying the US movie industry was dying a “very fast death” due to the incentives that other countries were offering to draw American film-makers.
“This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
He also said he was authorising the relevant US government agencies such as the Department of Commerce to immediately begin the process of imposing a 100 per cent tariff on all films produced abroad that are then sent into the United States.
Trump added: “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”
In a post on X, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said: “We’re on it.”
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
Neither Lutnick nor Trump provided any details on the implementation. It was not immediately clear whether the move would target production companies, foreign or American, producing films overseas.
Film and television production in Los Angeles has fallen by nearly 40 per cent over the last decade, according to FilmLA, a non-profit that tracks the region’s production.
Meanwhile, governments around the world have offered more generous tax credits and cash rebates to lure productions, and capture a greater share of the US$248 billion that Ampere Analysis predicts will be spent globally in 2025 to produce content.
SEE ALSO
The post by Trump comes after he has triggered a trade war with China, and imposed global tariffs which have roiled markets and led to fears of a US recession.
Former senior Commerce official William Reinsch, a senior fellow with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said retaliation against Trump’s foreign movies tariffs would be devastating.
“The retaliation will kill our industry. We have a lot more to lose than to gain,” he said, adding that it would be difficult to make a national security or national emergency case for movies. REUTERS
Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
