U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 100% tariff on films produced abroad and imported into the United States, part of a broader protectionist agenda aimed at revitalizing American industry.
“The movie industry in America is dying a very fast death,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, claiming that foreign governments are offering generous incentives to lure American filmmakers and studios overseas. “Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., is being devastated.”
Labeling the trend a “national security threat,” Trump said it reflects a coordinated effort by other nations to undermine U.S. cultural and economic power.
“I am authorizing the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to begin the process of instituting a 100% tariff on all movies coming into our country that are produced in foreign lands,” he said. “We want movies made in America, again.”
It remains unclear how such tariffs would be implemented or how they would reduce production costs for U.S. studios. In recent years, many Hollywood productions have shifted abroad to take advantage of lower costs and lucrative tax incentives.
In 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a major investment in the state’s film industry to help reclaim productions from competing regions, aiming to make California the most attractive destination for filmmakers.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has pursued an aggressive trade strategy focused on reshoring production and reducing dependence on foreign imports—an approach that has prompted global reassessment of trade relations with Washington.
