MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump wants movies produced in the US

It is yet unclear whether Trump targets foreign productions only or if he would also go after US pictures shot abroad. And will streaming platforms be reached?

US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 100% tariff on foreign films, citing national security concerns and the decline of the American film industry. The measure aims to counter incentives offered by other countries, like Canada and the UK, which attract US filmmakers and studios, leading to reduced production in Hollywood. “We want movies made in the United States!” he insisted.

”Other countries are offering all kinds of inducements to lure our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. This is a joint effort by foreign nations and, therefore, a threat to national security. Therefore, I have authorized the Department of Commerce and (the Office of the) United States Trade Representative to immediately begin the process to establish a 100% tariff on all films produced outside the country that enter the US market,“ Trump wrote on Truth Social.

”The US film industry is dying fast,“ he also warned. In his view, the US film industry is ”in a very rapid decline phase“ due to foreign incentives, with FilmLA reporting a 22% drop in Los Angeles filming in early 2025. The tariff’s implementation details remain unclear, including whether its application is expected to reach streaming platforms or films shot abroad by US studios. Some analysts believe Trump's idea is to retaliate against restrictions imposed by China on the number of American films to be shown in its territory.

Between January and March, series production fell 30.5%, and feature film production fell 28.9%. ”Each decline reflects cuts in overall production and the continued loss of jobs in California, which have moved to competing regions,” FilmLA said.

Trump eventually admitted he would be meeting with film industry executives to discuss the issue.

Experts warn that the tariff could disrupt the complex, international nature of film production, raise costs, and provoke retaliation, like foreign quotas on US films, potentially costing billions in exports and jobs.

The US film industry, which generated a US$ 15.3 billion trade surplus in 2023, could face significant economic setbacks despite its global dominance.