Trump announces 100% tariff for movies produced outside US

President Donald Trump announced a tariff aimed at the “national security threat” posed by other nations luring away American filmmakers.

In a post on Truth Social, the president asserted he will be imposing a 100% tariff on films produced outside of the United States, noting the American movie industry is “DYING a very fast death.”

“Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States,” Trump wrote. “Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated. 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 continued.

“Therefore, I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands,” he announced. “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”

“We’re on it,” responded Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on X.

We’re on it. https://t.co/r5zCLxZrem

— Howard Lutnick (@howardlutnick) May 4, 2025

Trump told reporters that other nations “have stolen our movie industry,” but also called out California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“I’ve done some very strong research over the last week, and we’re making very few movies now,” Trump said. “Hollywood is being destroyed. Now you have an incompetent, grossly incompetent governor that allowed that to happen.”

“Other nations have been stealing the moviemaking capabilities from the United States,” says @POTUS.

“Hollywood is being destroyed … If they’re not willing to make a movie inside the United States, then we should have a tariff on movies that come in.” pic.twitter.com/g3lxoGppmJ

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 5, 2025

“Jon Voight, whom Trump named one of his special ambassadors” to Hollywood, is the instigator of the president’s sudden interest in film production, according to several sources contacted by THR. “The actor and his manager, Steven Paul, have been taking meetings with leaders of the Hollywood guilds and studios about a proposal to Trump for how to boost U.S. production with a domestic film incentive,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“The studios have been shooting their biggest films overseas for years, both to take advantage of visually stunning foreign locations and generous rebates and tax incentives to lower their production costs,” the outlet added, noting how the blockbuster, “A Minecraft Movie,” was filmed mostly in New Zealand, with some production in Canada.

According to a report last month from FilmLA, the last decade has seen a nearly 40% drop in film and television production in Los Angeles. And this year, the period from January to March “saw losses in every category of production compared to the same period last year,” THR reported.

Senior Staff Writer
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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