September 29, 2025
By Tobi Akinnubi
President Donald Trump on Monday announced that the United States will impose a 100 percent tariff on all movies produced outside the country.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social account, said the measure is intended to protect the American film industry, which he claimed has been “robbed” by foreign productions. He added that states such as California, the traditional hub of Hollywood, have been “particularly hard hit” as more film projects are taken abroad.
The announcement, which immediately unsettled media and entertainment stocks, is expected to raise production costs for studios that rely on international co-productions and filming locations outside the U.S. Industry experts have also warned that the move could spark retaliatory trade measures from other countries.
While the President declared the tariff effective “immediately,” the White House has not yet released details on how it will be enforced, including whether films partly produced overseas will be affected. Trade analysts note that the measure may also face legal scrutiny over whether movies qualify as goods, services, or intellectual property under U.S. and international trade law.
Trump has previously floated the idea of imposing tariffs on foreign films, but Monday’s statement marks his most definitive stance to date.
