US President Donald Trump says he will hit movies made in foreign countries with 100% tariffs, as he ramps up trade disputes with nations around the world.
Trump said he was authorizing the US Department of Commerce and Trade Representative to start the process to impose the levy because America’s movie industry was dying “a very fast death.”
He blamed a “concerted effort” by other countries that offer incentives to attract filmmakers and studios, which he described as a “National Security threat”.
His remarks could spell a “knock-out blow” to the industry, one union warned, where filmmakers have for years left Hollywood for destinations like the UK and Canada in search of lower costs.
“WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick responded to the announcement, saying “We’re on it.”
But the details of the move are unclear. Trump’s statement did not say whether the tariff would apply to American production companies producing films abroad.
Several recent major movies produced by US studios were shot outside America, including Deadpool & Wolverine, Wicked and Gladiator II.
It was also unclear if the tariffs would apply to films on streaming services, like Netflix, as well as those shown at cinemas, or how they would be calculated.
The founder of European cinema chain Vue, Timothy Richards, questioned how Trump would define a US film.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “Is it where the money comes from? The script, the director, the talent, where it was shot?”
