Trump said he has directed members of his administration to “start 100% tariffs immediately” on films produced overseas.
Voight, Stallone and Gibson to play the role of Trump in Hollywood
President Donald Trump has appointed John Voight, Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson for Hollywood’s “eyes and ears.”
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- Trump said his plans would save the “dying” American film industry.
- “We want a film made in America again!” he wrote.
President Donald Trump slapped 100% tariffs on films produced abroad, saying he was worried that the incentive to lure filmmakers overseas would send the American film industry to “very fast deaths.”
“We want a film made in America again!” he wrote.
In a social media post on May 4, Trump said he was instructing members of his administration to “immediately begin the process of setting 100% tariffs on all films that come to our country, produced on foreign lands.”
The move is the latest in many tariffs Trump has collected from various countries and industries, including foreign steel, aluminum and automobiles. Tariffs have scared investors and made the economy uneasy.
Trump recently eased car rates by saying he wanted to give car companies a little more flexibility. He also suspended large mutual tariffs in all foreign countries except China for 90 days. China faces 145% tariffs.
Trump raised concerns about national security and foreign propaganda when he announced the tariffs on the film.
“Hollywood and many other parts of the United States are devastated. This is a coordinated effort by other countries and, therefore, a national security threat,” he said. “It’s message and propaganda, along with everything else!”
It was unclear whether the tariffs would apply to movies displayed on streaming services or theaters, or whether they would be calculated based on production costs or box office revenue. The Motion Picture Association, which represents a major studio, did not immediately comment.
Film and TV production has been leaving Hollywood for years and heads to a place with tax incentives that will make filming cheaper.
In 2023, about half of US producers of film and television projects with budgets of over $40 million went outside the US, according to research firm Prodpro.
Governments around the world have increased credit and cash rebates to attract productions, earning a larger share of $248 billion, which Ampere Analysis predicts to spend globally in 2025 to produce content.
“Other countries provide all sorts of incentives to separate filmmakers and studios from the United States,” Trump complained.
On Monday, Australia and New Zealand leaders responded to Trump’s tariff announcement, saying they would defend the local industry. Although some Marvel superhero movies have been filmed in Australia, New Zealand was the backdrop for the “Lord of the Rings” movie.
Contribution: Reuters