Trump To Impose 100% Tariffs On Movies Made Outside U.S.

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that his administration will impose a 100 per cent tariff on all films produced abroad and imported into the United States.

According to Reuters, the policy extends Trump’s trade agenda into cultural industries, injecting uncertainty into a sector that depends heavily on international co-productions and overseas box office revenue.

“Our movie-making business has been stolen from the United States of America by other countries, just like stealing candy from a baby,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

It remains unclear what legal authority the president intends to use to enforce the tariffs, and the White House has yet to clarify how the plan would be implemented.

Trump first floated the idea in May but provided little detail at the time, leaving studio executives unsure whether the measure would target specific countries or all imports.

Reuters reports that shares of Paramount, Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery slipped 2.1% and 1.3%, respectively, after the announcement.

The policy could hit Hollywood particularly hard, as big-budget films are increasingly shot in foreign production hubs like Canada, the UK, and Australia, where tax breaks attract high-profile projects.

Co-productions with partners in Asia and Europe have also become critical for financing and distribution.

Production spending in the U.S. has already fallen 26% compared to 2022, adding to concerns about the industry’s future under the proposed tariff regime.