President Trump Renews Threat of 100% Tariffs on Films Made Outside the U.S.

President Donald Trump has renewed his threat of implementing tariffs on films produced outside the United States.

“Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing ‘candy from a baby.’ California, with its weak and incompetent Governor, has been particularly hard hit,” he wrote Monday on his social media platform Truth Social. “Therefore, in order to solve this long time, never ending problem, I will be imposing a 100% Tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

It’s unclear what reignited the proclamation, but Trump made a similar declaration in May because he deemed foreign productions a “national security threat” to the American movie industry, adding that they not only draw filmmakers out to other markets but also bring “messaging and propaganda” into the United States. There was uncertainty at the time about whether the president had the authority to institute such a tariff or how it would be implemented.

Film and television production in recent years has been decamping from Hollywood to shoot in locations that offer lucrative tax incentives, like the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, which makes filming less expensive. But some movies are filmed internationally because the story takes place in other parts of the world — and directors like Denis Villeneuve (“Dune”) and Christopher Nolan (the upcoming “Odyssey”) prefer to shoot on location rather than soundstages.

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, whom Trump referenced in his Truth Social post, has pushed recently to increase the state’s tax incentive program, including film credits, to boost production in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Newsom for months has been relentlessly trolling Trump on social media over his policies and proclamations, with the governor regularly making posts that mimic the nature of the president’s unfiltered (and often all caps) tone.

“It’s following his example,” Newsom said at a press conference over the summer.