US President Donald Trump has announced a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the United States, claiming that the American film industry is being harmed by foreign tax incentives [1, 2, 4]. Trump declared the issue a matter of national security and instructed agencies, including the Department of Commerce, to implement the tariffs immediately [2, 4, 9].
The announcement has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry [2, 3]. Hollywood executives are scrambling to understand the implications, while the Motion Picture Association has declined to comment [3, 11]. The lack of specific details regarding calculation and enforcement has created uncertainty [3, 4].
Several countries, including Australia and New Zealand, have voiced their opposition and pledged to support their screen industries [3, 5, 7]. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has spoken with Screen Australia's head, affirming his commitment to defending the Australian screen industry [1, 3, 5]. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stated his government is seeking further information [1, 3, 5].
Earlier this year, Trump appointed Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson as “special ambassadors” to revitalize American filmmaking [4, 16, 17]. William Reinsch, a former senior Commerce official, has warned of potentially dire consequences due to possible retaliation [3]. The international film community is closely watching how these tariffs will unfold and their potential impact on global film production and distribution [1, 2].