NOTE : VIDEO AT THE END OF ARTICLE
Former President Calls International Competition a ‘Threat to National Security’
And just like that, the tariff war reignites—this time dragging a surprising sector into the fray, potentially making life harder for fans of a specialized form of entertainment.
Donald Trump has been aggressively increasing tariffs, and there’s no indication he’s slowing down.
Following a tense dispute with China that resulted in tariffs climbing to an eye-popping 145 percent, it appears the trend of expensive imports from China is set to continue.
In retaliation, China boosted its own tariffs on US goods from 84 percent to 125 percent, prompting Trump to sign an executive order to investigate the security risks of relying on overseas processed critical minerals.
But while that drama unfolds, another industry is being hit hard with new trade measures.
Donald Trump has ordered 100 percent tariffs on the industry
Trump has implemented a 100 percent tariff targeting this specific sector.
He labeled the industry as ‘on the brink’ and accused foreign nations of coordinating an ‘assault’ on it, branding the situation a national security emergency.
What industry are we talking about?
The film industry.
That’s correct—the same business that brings us beloved characters and blockbuster titles.
Trump now aims to slap a 100 percent tariff on films made overseas, supposedly to shield American productions.
Due to the perceived urgency, he’s giving the green light to the Department of Commerce and the US Trade Representative to enforce these steep charges—hoping it spurs domestic filmmaking.
In a Truth Social post, he wrote: “The American Film Industry is CRUMBLING fast. Other countries are tempting our creators and companies to leave the U.S. Hollywood and other hubs across our nation are suffering.”
The POTUS claimed that the US film industry is ‘dying’
Calling it an “organized effort by foreign governments and therefore a National Security issue,” Trump also accused foreign films of embedding “propaganda.”
To combat this “danger,” he announced: “I am directing Commerce and the U.S. Trade Rep to start immediately placing a 100% tariff on any and all foreign-made films entering America.”
He ended the post with a rallying cry: “LET’S MAKE MOVIES IN AMERICA AGAIN!”
While Trump emphasized taxing international films, he didn’t clarify whether American studios making movies abroad would face penalties too.
He also didn’t mention how this might affect streaming services like Netflix, which produce and release content globally, or how cinemas that rely on international titles would be impacted.
Still, this isn’t the first sign of Trump’s interest in the industry—during his second term, he named actors Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone as ambassadors to promote film business growth in Hollywood.
“They will be my Special Envoys, helping bring Hollywood—which has lost much to foreign markets—BACK, BIGGER and STRONGER!” Trump posted.
In response, China recently announced it would limit the number of U.S. films allowed in its theaters.
“The U.S. government’s misuse of tariffs will naturally hurt American films’ popularity at home,” the China Film Administration stated.
“We’ll let the market decide, respect viewer demand, and moderately reduce imports of U.S. titles.”
