Former U.S. President Donald Trump has directed the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to begin imposing a 100% tariff on all films produced outside the United States, declaring the move necessary to protect the “dying” American movie industry.
In a statement posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump claimed that foreign nations are deliberately luring U.S. filmmakers abroad through lucrative incentives, which he described as part of a “national security threat.” He wrote: “The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away… This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat… I am authorizing the Department of Commerce and the U.S. 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.”
Trump emphasized that his aim is to reinvigorate domestic filmmaking and bring movie production back to American soil, writing, “We want movies made in America again.”
The announcement comes amid escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China. On April 10, China’s National Film Administration announced it would “moderately reduce” the number of Hollywood films allowed into the Chinese market, linking the decision directly to U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.
“The wrong move by the U.S. government to abuse tariffs on China will inevitably further reduce the domestic audience’s favourability towards American films,” the Chinese agency said in a statement.
China, which previously allowed up to 10 Hollywood films annually, has been a major market for the U.S. film industry. The move to cut imports is likely to significantly impact Hollywood’s international earnings.
Reacting to China’s decision, Trump dismissed concerns, saying, “I think I’ve heard of worse things,” signaling that he remains unfazed by the trade fallout.
This sweeping tariff proposal is expected to draw both domestic and international criticism, with potential implications for global film distribution and U.S. foreign relations.