Donald Trump renews threat to impose sweeping tariffs on films produced outside the United States
Despite experts warn it will spell disaster for the entertainment industry, Donald Trump has renewed his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on films produced outside America.
Donald Trump has renewed his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on films produced outside America.
The U.S. president, 79, made the remarks on Monday (29.09.25) on his social media platform Truth Social, reviving a policy idea he previously floated earlier this year, and adding he would set a 100 percent levy on international productions.
Trump said: “Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing ‘candy from a baby’.
“California, with its weak and incompetent Governor, has been particularly hard hit. Therefore, in order to solve this long time, never ending problem, I will be imposing a 100 percent Tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Trump’s comments follow similar threats he issued in May, when he described foreign-made films as a “national security threat” to the domestic movie industry.
At the time, experts questioned whether a president had the authority to unilaterally impose such tariffs or how they would be enforced.
Trump has regularly targeted the entertainment industry in his public remarks.
His comments in May suggested foreign productions lured filmmakers abroad not only with financial incentives but also with what he called “messaging and propaganda” imported into American cinemas.
The industry has in recent years shifted production to countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, where lucrative tax rebates make shooting less expensive than in Hollywood.
Directors including Denis Villeneuve, who filmed Dune in international locations, and Christopher Nolan, whose next film Odyssey is partly shot overseas, have also chosen to work abroad because of creative considerations rather than financial ones.
If imposed, experts say Trump’s proposed 100 percent tariffs on films made outside the United States would have wide-ranging consequences for the domestic industry.
Studios could face higher costs when distributing international films, leading to fewer foreign titles in US cinemas and streaming platforms.
Independent distributors would be hit hardest, as many rely on lower-budget international productions to fill catalogues.
Consumers would likely face higher ticket prices and reduced choice, while US filmmakers risk retaliation abroad, with tariffs potentially levied on American exports.
Industry unions warn such disruption could shrink jobs, undermine cultural exchange and reduce America’s global influence in cinema.
