U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a 100% tariff on films made outside the United States, claiming the move is necessary to stop what he describes as a deliberate attack on the American film industry.
“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 posted on Truth Social. He also added in capital letters: “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”
The announcement came with no formal structure or clarity. Trump simply said relevant agencies, including the Department of Commerce, had been authorised to begin the process. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed on X, “We’re on it.”
No details were provided about what exactly the tariff would cover. Will it hit all foreign-made films regardless of distributor? What about movies by U.S. studios shot overseas? And what happens to streaming platforms like Netflix? None of that was answered.
There’s also the question of enforcement. Hollywood insiders, already having issues with decoding the message, say they’ve seen no paperwork. The Motion Picture Association stayed silent, while entertainment executives were left guessing over how deep this policy could cut into international operations.
From where I stand, it’s hard to see this as anything other than a move to score political points. But it’s not without risk. Nearly half of big-budget U.S. film and TV productions over the last year were shot abroad.
They went to countries offering cash rebates and tax credits—places like Canada, Australia, and the U.K.—where filming can cost far less. That’s not subversion. That’s economics.
The global content industry is expected to hit $248 billion in spending by 2025, and America’s share is already shrinking. FilmLA reports a 40% decline in Hollywood-based production over the past decade. Wildfires and rising living costs have made Los Angeles less appealing, even for crews who once called it home.
Now, Australia and New Zealand are drawing their lines in the sand. “Nobody should be under any doubt that we will be standing up unequivocally for the rights of the Australian screen industry,” said Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon added, “We’ll be obviously a great advocate, great champion of that sector and that industry.”
Let’s not forget China. They’ve already retaliated against U.S. film policies. The China Film Administration warned: “The wrong action of the US government to abuse tariffs on China will inevitably further reduce the domestic audience’s favourability towards American films.” Their response? Cut back on Hollywood imports.
And the consequences don’t end there. Former Commerce official William Reinsch didn’t sugar-coat his take. “The retaliation will kill our industry. We have a lot more to lose than to gain.”
Even before this latest stunt, Trump had turned Hollywood into a personal project. Earlier this year, he named Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson as “Special Envoys” to help “bring Hollywood… BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!”
But money still talks. Studios like Disney, Netflix, and Universal are not interested in patriotic slogans—they’re chasing profitability. If Trump wants to revive American filmmaking, tariffs might not be the answer. A more practical fix? Improve tax breaks, fix the labour ecosystem, and make domestic production competitive again.
Until then, this looks like another headline grab—loud, not certain, and likely to backfire.
