Donald Trump has repeated his threat to impose a 100% tariff on all films not made in the US, claiming the American industry had been “stolen” by other countries.
He said on Monday that California had been heavily affected and the levy would “solve this long-time, never-ending problem”.
In May, the US president said he would talk to Hollywood executives about his plan and to begin the process of imposing the levy because America’s film industry was dying “a very fast death”.
Trump’s remarks come as he announced a new wave of tariffs last week, including a 100% levy on branded or patented drug imports as well as 50% levies on kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform: “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 said the 100% tariff would be imposed “on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States”.
Trump did not say when the tariff will come into force. The White House has been approached for a comment.
It was also unclear if the tariffs would apply to films on streaming services, such as Netflix, as well as those shown at cinemas, or how they would be calculated.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce said it was “deeply concerned” by the levy because American production houses relied on Canadian facilities, crews and talent to deliver Hollywood movies.
Catherine Fortin-LeFaivre, senior vice president of international policy and global partnerships for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said: “These tariffs risk punishing US studios for filming in Canada by driving up costs and undermining the competitive advantage our countries have built together.”
