Burbank Leader: Trump Orders Tariffs on Foreign-Made Films
President Donald Trump directed his attention this week at Hollywood, threatening in a social media post to impose tariffs on movies produced outside of the United States.
Trump posted on Truth Social the American movie industry was dying a "very fast death" because of incentives other countries offer filmmakers to produce films and movies outside of the U.S.
"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 wrote.
He said the Department of Commerce and other government agencies were being authorized to immediately begin the process of imposing a 100% tariff on all films produced abroad and sent to the United States.
Trump added, "WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!"
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick posted on social media: "We're on it." However, neither Lutnick nor Trump provided details on how to implement the tariffs.
Trump appointed Hollywood veterans Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson in January as symbolic ambassadors to bring Hollywood back "bigger, better and stronger than ever before."
Voight and his business partner, Steven Paul, met with Trump last weekend, sharing their suggestions for boosting domestic film and TV production. In a statement, Voight and Paul said they outlined a plan that included tax incentives and subsidies for producers and theater owners.
"The president loves the entertainment business and this country, and he will help us make Hollywood great again," Voight said. "... We look forward to working with the administration, the unions, studios, and streamers to help form a plan to keep our industry healthy and bring more productions back to America."
Studios have been using foreign locations instead of Hollywood for years, taking advantage of tax incentives and lower production costs. Increased tax credits and cash rebates offered by foreign countries are attracting productions. Ampere Analysis predicts $248 billion will be spent globally to produce content in 2025.
Disney, Netflix and Universal Pictures film movies and TV shows in Canada and Britain.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union issued a statement Monday saying it agrees that international competition has threatened the Hollywood film industry and its workers, and the union is talking to the Trump administration about finding solutions.
IATSE recommended that the Trump administration implement a federal film production tax incentive and other domestic tax provisions to level the playing field for American workers.
"We await further information on the administration's proposed tariff plan, but we continue to stand firm in our conviction that any eventual trade policy must do no harm to our Canadian member — nor the industry overall. We seek reciprocal trade practices that ensure fair competition for all IATSE members," IATSE President Matthew D. Loeb said in a statement.
Rep. Laura Friedman, who represents Burbank, said she shares the goal of halting runaway production and supporting film and TV workers.
"If President Trump is serious about maintaining a dominant U.S. film industry and keeping production jobs in the United States, I invite him to join me in fighting for a national film tax credit that levels the playing field with overseas incentives," Friedman said in a statement. "I've been meeting with lawmakers, labor unions, and industry leaders to make this a reality — because we know this approach works, as we've seen in states like California and New York.''