US President Donald Trump has announced that he plans to impose hefty tariffs on all films produced outside of the United States.
Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump declared that Hollywood is under siege not from box office bombs or streaming wars, but from filmmakers and studios choosing to shoot abroad. He called the trend a threat to national security and said he has directed the U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, to begin the process of slapping a 100 per cent tariff on any foreign-made films entering the American market.
“WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” Trump wrote in all caps, evoking his signature campaign rhetoric in a move that is likely to send ripples through the entertainment industry.
This push comes on the heels of China announcing a cutback on the number of American films it imports, a move that may have prompted Trump’s latest salvo.
According to President Trump, foreign governments are luring U.S. studios with generous incentives, draining talent and investment from American soil.
“The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death,” he wrote. “Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick backed the initiative with a short but firm repost: “We’re on it.”
With a number of Kenyans successfully hacking to it, Hollywood is more than just glitz and red carpets; it is a powerful economic engine. According to the Motion Picture Association, it supported over 2.3 million jobs and contributed $279 billion (Sh36 trillion) in sales in 2022. It is no surprise Trump sees its decline as more than a cultural loss.
In a show of Hollywood-meets-politics, Trump appointed long-time supporters Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, and Jon Voight as special envoys to the film industry, after his inauguration.
Reacting on the issue, lawyer Essendi Kenneth who specializes in Copyright matters, says a nation’s stories are important and Trump is pushing for an American First approach for the US creative economy.
“The US want to tell their stories, of how they’re great. Basically propaganda and feed it to the world. Nigeria has also tried it with Nollywood and music. They’re just not rich enough. It’s big business and big politics. South Africa should’ve done it but they didn’t. Israel does it. UK same thing with James Bond and Jason Statham. China and Russia are good at it. France too. But USA is still king. Media is important,” he told TNX via phone.