Trump Imposes 100% Tariff on Foreign Films to Save Hollywood

US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 100% tariff on all films produced outside the United States, calling the current state of the American movie industry a “very fast death.” The announcement was made on Truth Social, where Trump blamed international tax incentives for pulling filmmakers away from Hollywood.

He claimed that this global shift in production is not just an economic issue but a “national security threat” tied to messaging and propaganda. Trump added that he has ordered government agencies, including the Department of Commerce, to start putting the tariffs in place immediately.

Unclear rules leave Hollywood in limbo

While the proposal grabbed headlines, Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick gave no details about how the tariffs would actually work. It’s still unknown if the plan includes movies released on streaming platforms or only those shown in theaters. Hollywood insiders were left scrambling to understand the possible consequences, while the Motion Picture Association remained silent.

Industry leaders are particularly concerned about how the tariffs will be calculated—whether they’ll be based on production costs or box office revenue—and what that means for movies already in the works.

Foreign production has been rising for years

Over the past decade, a large chunk of US-based movie and TV production has moved abroad, especially to countries like Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. These countries offer attractive tax incentives and lower production costs, making them popular among big studios like Netflix, Disney, and Universal Pictures.

In fact, in 2023, nearly half of US spending on big-budget film and TV projects took place outside the country. A recent survey even ranked California sixth as a preferred filming location, falling behind cities like Toronto and Vancouver.

This article was previously published on omanmoments. To see the original article, click here