Trump calls for 100% tariff on foreign-made films to save Hollywood

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a 100 percent tariff on movies produced outside the country, saying the American movie industry was dying a “very fast death” due to the incentives that other countries were offering to lure filmmakers.

“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 said on Truth Social.

Trump said he was authorising the relevant government agencies, such as the Department of Commerce, to immediately begin the process of imposing a 100 percent tariff on all films produced abroad that are then sent into the United States.

He added: “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on X: “We’re on it.” Neither Lutnick nor Trump provided any details on how the tariffs would be implemented. It was unclear if the tariffs would apply to movies on streaming services as well as those shown in theaters, or if they would be calculated based on production costs or box office revenue. Hollywood executives were trying to sort out details on Sunday night. The Motion Picture Association, which represents the major studios, had no immediate comment.