Trump wants to impose 100% tariffs on films produced abroad

«The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death,» wrote Trump last night in a post on Truth. According to the American President, the reason the industry is suffering is the incentives offered by other countries to American productions. For this reason, he states in the same post, he has authorized the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to establish 100% tariffs on all films produced in «Foreign Lands.» Trump claims that the efforts by other countries are organized and should be considered a propaganda project against the United States: saving Hollywood, writes the American President, means protecting national security. «WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!» he concludes in the post. In response to this message, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated on X that he is working on the new cinema tariffs, but it is still unclear whether the taxes will target American production companies.

A few months ago, we talked about the de-Californication of film productions, a phenomenon highlighted by a FilmLA report which shows that in 2024 Hollywood productions decreased by 5% and over the past ten years by 40%. The reason behind this decline is the tax breaks that Eastern European, Mediterranean, and Australian countries offer to American producers. To counter the migrations, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has gathered $750 million in incentives, which however struggle to compete with 30–40% breaks offered by countries like Hungary (which averages 250 productions per year), Australia, and New Zealand. In response to Trump's statements on social media, political representatives from these last two countries made it clear they will defend their respective film industries. Tony Burke, Australia's Home Affairs Minister, stated in a press release that «No one should doubt that we will fight unequivocally for the rights of the Australian film industry,» adding that he has already discussed it with the head of the government agency Screen Australia. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, on the other hand, discussed the issue in a press conference where he said that before deciding how to proceed, it will be necessary to understand how Trump intends to set the tariffs. «We will need to see the details of what ultimately emerges. But we will obviously be strong supporters of that sector and that industry.»

Once again influencing the cinema tariff storm is China, which, in response to the tariffs launched by Trump on the country since the beginning of the year, is cutting all ties with the United States. At the beginning of April, the Chinese Film Administration decided to slow down the import of American films into the country, a move to which Trump responded defiantly with «I think I've seen worse things.» Cultural hegemony also passes through films, which is why the war between China and America is also being fought in cinemas. According to The Guardian, for former U.S. Department of Commerce representative William Reinsch, the 100% tariffs that Trump wants to impose on foreign-produced films could destroy the entire industry. «We have much more to lose than to gain,» he stated, adding that this is not really a case of national security as the American President claims on Truth.