U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed his threat to impose steep tariffs on movies produced outside the United States, declaring that America’s film industry has been “stolen” by foreign competitors.
In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump accused other countries of siphoning off business from Hollywood, likening it to “stealing candy from a baby.” He further criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom as “weak and incompetent,” claiming the state’s economy has been badly hit by the decline of its film sector.
“To solve this long-time, never-ending problem, I will be imposing a 100% tariff on any and all movies made outside of the United States,” Trump wrote, though he provided no timeline or further details about implementation.
The announcement comes just days after Trump threatened a wave of new tariffs ranging from 25% to 100% on imported goods such as branded pharmaceuticals, upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets, and heavy trucks. He argued that these measures were necessary to push companies to relocate production to the U.S.
Trump first floated the idea of tariffs on foreign-made films in May, when he warned that the U.S. movie industry was “dying a very fast death.” At the time, he directed the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to begin the process of preparing such tariffs.
The potential impact of the move remains uncertain. Hollywood remains a cornerstone of the American economy, supporting over 2.3 million jobs and generating $279 billion in sales in 2022, according to the Motion Picture Association. However, the industry is still grappling with challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and last year’s Hollywood strikes, which reshaped viewing habits as more Americans opted for home streaming over traditional theaters.
It is also unclear whether the proposed tariffs would extend to television series, which have become an increasingly profitable segment of the entertainment industry.
Trump’s latest tariff threats underscore his broader push to reshape U.S. trade policy, with particular focus on industries he says have suffered from foreign competition. “North Carolina has completely lost its furniture business to China and other countries,” he added, reiterating his call for higher duties on imported furniture.
