The Hollywood sign is viewed during a clearing storm on January 22, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Blake Wolf 1:47 PM – Monday, May 5, 2025
President Donald Trump announced that he will be imposing 100% tariffs on all foreign-made films, pledging to revitalize U.S. film production as Hollywood faces significant challenges.
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President Trump stated that the proposed tariffs are justified by national security concerns, citing a coordinated effort by foreign governments to disseminate propaganda through their film industries.
Hollywood has struggled to attract large-scale productions, following the COVID-19 pandemic era, due to high costs in California, while other nations provide production companies with tax incentives, which in turn, makes the films more economically-viable to produce.
The industry is also facing changes with the adaptation of streaming services and independent productions creating competition — changing the business model and locations of productions to more cost-effective solutions.
Some modern instances of foreign propaganda involve both China and the United Arab Emirates.
In recent years, China’s influence on Hollywood has grown, with studios occasionally altering content to appease Chinese censors and gain access to the Chinese market. For example, the 2012 film “Looper” included a line in one scene that suggests the future of innovation is in China, a change attributed to appealing to Chinese audiences, according to the Washington Post. Regarding the United Arab Emirates, the 2012 film “Promised Land,” which portrays fracking in a negative light, was partially financed by the government of Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — a region that stands to profit from the failure of the fracking industry.
This has led to discussions about the potential for foreign-funded films to influence American public opinion on energy policies
Meanwhile, movie theaters have also seen a major decline in attendance, struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels, resulting in the closure of over 2,000 theaters.
“The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A, are being devastated,” Trump wrote.
“This is a concerted effort by other Nations, and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda! Therefore, I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” he added.
Donald Trump claims he is placing a 100% tariff on all films produced outside of America that are brought into the country.
“Any and all movies coming into our country that are produced in Foreign Lands. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” pic.twitter.com/EsQ9Pe5T2T
The details of the proposed film tariffs are currently unclear. However, White House spokesman Kush Desai stated: “no final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made, the Administration is exploring all options to deliver on President Trump’s directive to safeguard our country’s national and economic security while Making Hollywood Great Again.”
Australia, Britain, Hungary, New Zealand, and Canada, among others, offer tax incentives for major movie studios such as Disney, Netflix, Amazon, and Universal Pictures to film in their country. As a result of the outsourced production, roughly 18,000 full-time jobs have disappeared in the past three years, mainly in California — according to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), who Trump has described as “grossly incompetent,” is currently pushing for his plan to more than double the state’s film and television tax incentives to $750 million annually.
“California is the entertainment capital of the world, rooted in decades of creativity, innovation and unparalleled talent,” Newsom stated last October when the increase was proposed.
“Expanding this program will help keep production here at home, generate thousands of good-paying jobs, and strengthen the vital link between our communities and the state’s iconic film and TV industry,” he added.
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