Trump imposes 100% tax on movies produced outside US, calls 'Hollywood in crisis'

In a major move aimed at reviving the American film industry, US President Donald Trump has announced that the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) have been instructed to initiate the process of imposing a 100% tariff on all films produced outside the United States.

Trump took to his Truth Social account, "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 from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated."

Trump called it a 'national threat'

"This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything 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. 

Emphasising domestic film production, Trump said, “We want films to be made in America again.” The purpose of the new tariff, he explained, is to level the playing field and encourage studios to continue their operations on American soil.

Meanwhile, American movie ticket sales have dropped as fewer major films hit theaters post-pandemic and viewers increasingly turn to OTT streaming platforms.