In a transfer that would shake up the leisure trade, President Trump says he’s directed his administration to place a “100% tariff” on any films coming into the U.S. that weren’t produced on this nation.
He posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday that he’s approved the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to institute the tariff.
“The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death,” he wrote. “Other Countries are providing all kinds of incentives to attract our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and plenty of different areas throughout the U.S.A., are being devastated. This is a concerted effort by different Nations and, due to this fact, a National Security menace. It is, along with the whole lot else, messaging and propaganda!
“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. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”
For years, Hollywood has flocked to international locations such because the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and Spain for his or her tax incentives.
Talking with C-SPAN on Sunday, Trump was requested concerning the tariffs, and he briefly expounded upon his put up and put some of the blame on California Gov. Gavin Newsom along with different international locations.
“What they’ve done is other nations have been stealing the movies, the moviemaking capabilities from the united States,” he stated, including: “I’ve done some very strong research over the past week and we’re making very few movies now. Hollywood is being destroyed. Now, you have a … grossly incompetent governor that allowed that to happen, so I’m not just blaming other nations, but other nations have stolen our movie industry. If they’re not willing to make a movie inside the United States, then we should have a tariff on movies that come in. And not only that, governments are actually giving big money. They’re supporting them financially. That’s sort of a threat to our country in a sense.”
There are a quantity of costly tentpoles due out within the coming months that filmed abroad. Would they be grandfathered in by way of a grace interval or hit with a tariff?
The ultra-pricey Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning (May 23) was shot everywhere in the world, which is one of the important thing promoting factors of the globetrotting franchise, which movies oversees for the unique locales, not the tax credit.
Lionsgate’s John Wick spinoff Ballerina (June 6) filmed within the Czech Republic.
Disney and twentieth Century’s Avatar: Fire and Ash (Dec. 19) was made in New Zealand, which has grow to be a manufacturing hub over the previous 20 years after The Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson put it on the map.
Disney sister firm Marvel Studios may be hit by the tariffs. It not too long ago started filming Avengers: Doomsday (May 1, 2026) in London and plans to movie Sony co-production Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31, 2026) there this 12 months as properly. The U.Ok. affords beneficiant tax incentives that helped lure manufacturing away from Atlanta, the place Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame filmed.
Disney-owned Lucasfilm can also be anticipated to shoot the Ryan Gosling Star Wars: Starfighter (May 28, 2027) within the United Kingdom this 12 months.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s rival comedian e book model DC Studios has been beefing up its London presence, filming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (June 26, 2026) in London.
There’s a cottage trade of low-budget, VOD films that shoot in Eastern European international locations comparable to Romania and Bulgaria for the low labor prices and tax incentives. (Think: something low finances starring an growing old motion star.)
Trump, of course, final month introduced a plan to position at the least 10 percent tariffs on items from each nation that trades with the U.S. As a outcome, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average each dropped amid fears of a recession. Every week later, he stated he was placing a “90-day PAUSE” on most of the tariffs, besides these in opposition to China. The inventory market has since rebounded.
6:07 p.m. Sunday, May 4: Added Trump’s quotes to C-SPAN.
