Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Foreign Film Productions to ‘Protect Hollywood’

Trump announces – not for the first time – 100 percent tariffs on all films produced outside the USA. The threat is said to stop Hollywood’s emigration, but experts doubt the feasibility and warn of chaos in the industry.

Trump wants to get film production back

At the beginning of this week, Donald Trump once again threatened drastic measures through his social network Truth: 100 percent tariffs on all films that are produced outside the USA. The US President claims that the American film industry has been “stolen” by other countries and sees California as particularly affected.

Trump had already expressed similar threats in May, but without giving concrete details about implementation. As so often, the plans are controversial: according to the industry magazine Deadline The industry reacts accordingly with a mixture of skepticism and concern to the announcement.

Delivery from Hollywood

The reality of the film industry partly confirms Trump’s. Productions have been moving abroad for years, lured by tax breaks and lower labor costs. Countries such as Canada, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand have long established themselves as attractive locations.

For example, Australia and New Zealand experienced a 14 percent increase in productions over $ 40 million between 2022 and 2024, while the United States recorded a decrease of 26 percent. Canada, known as “Hollywood North”, has been home to large productions for decades, and series, especially series, are being created more and more north of the US border.

Doubt about feasibility

The industry reacts skeptically to Trump’s plans. Mike Proulx from Forrester (via CNBC) warns of “chaos in the entertainment industry”, since it is unclear how tariffs could be applied to services instead of goods.