Donald Trump announces “100% tariff” on all non-US films
President Donald Trump has announced his plans for massive tariffs on all films made outside of the United States.
The president had previously noted taxing foreign-made movies by suggesting that other countries offer tax incentives that encourage filmmakers to travel abroad. Now, in a recent post on his Truth Social page, Trump has announced his plans for what he’s calling a “100% tariff” on films that are made outside of the country.
Calling the ongoing tax issue “stealing candy from a baby”, Trump vowed to make drastic changes to the film industry, saying, “In order to solve this longtime, never ending problem, I will be imposing a 100% tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States.” The president also took aim at California Governor Gavin Newsom in his announcement, saying that California has been hit by the taxes most of all thanks to their “incompetent governor.”
While Trump did not act on any of his plans in May, an open letter was made at the time calling for more tax incentives on films made outside the US. Among those who signed the letter were many of Trump’s Hollywood ambassadors, including Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson.
However, many members of Hollywood have talked about their disapproval of Trump’s ideas for reform in the film industry. When asked about the idea at the Cannes Film Festival, filmmaker Wes Anderson had said that he wasn’t sure how a tactic like this would even work.
While at the festival to promote The Phoenician Scheme, Anderson was perplexed at the tactics the president was using, saying, “The tariff is fascinating because of the 100%. I’m not an expert in that area of economics, but I feel that means Trump is saying he’s going to take all the money. And then what do we get?”
Robert De Niro also expressed his disapproval of the move, saying, “You can’t put a price on creativity, but apparently you can put a tariff on it. Of course, this is unacceptable. And this isn’t just an American problem, it’s a global one. Like a film, we can’t just all sit back and watch. We have to act, and we have to act now.”
No action has been put in place yet; however, this would be the first time that the president has ever taxed another country for a service rather than any goods. This comes after many film studios have been making massive numbers, thanks to the international market. With the release of One Battle After Another, Warner Bros has accumulated over $4billion thus far in 2025.
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