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In a Truth Social post on Sept. 29, President Donald Trump announced that he is imposing a 100% tariff on any movies made outside of the United States. Although it was not clear how or when these tariffs would be imposed, he made similar claims in May 2025.Â
In his post, Trump claims that “Our movie-making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other countries,” and compares it to stealing candy from a baby. Trump directly calls out California Gov. Gavin Newsom by saying, “California, with its weak and incompetent governor, has been particularly hard hit!”Â
According to Giggster, California is widely regarded as the movie capital of the world, with over 382,000 movies being set there. Giggster named New York City as the number one city for filming locations. For decades, the United States has contributed to the film industry by providing substantial filming locations and a large audience.Â
Despite the President’s claims, this post from Trump is an empty threat and nothing more, especially considering that similar statements have been made by him before. Additionally, SAG-AFTRA (The Screen Actors Guild) and the Motion Picture Association, two prominent organizations serving the silver screen, have yet to release statements. It’s not uncommon for Trump to make spineless threats and promises, which explains why Hollywood is not taking these statements seriously.Â
According to the Motion Picture Association, “The film and television industry supports 2.32 million jobs, pays out $229 billion in total wages, and comprises over 122,000 businesses.” The film industry has provided over 258,860 jobs and raised over $42.6 billion in wages to the state of California. PodPro’s 2025 report noted that despite still being the largest filming hub by production spend, the United States’ revenue has decreased by 22% since 2022. However, countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada have been on the rise since 2022.Â
Hollywood is no longer a centralized location; instead, filmmakers have been traveling internationally for years, scouting locations that make their films’ settings more realistic. Matt Stevens and Nicole Sperling, for The New York Times, report that labor costs have increased following the two major SAG-AFTRA strikes, and it has become significantly cheaper to film overseas compared to Hollywood.Â
Trump has been promising tariffs on foreign goods since his campaign, and for the most part, has delivered that promise. Most of the tariffs enacted have raised prices on groceries and produce, hurting the pockets of the American people. Adding tariffs to the movie business will result in movie studios paying more, which will lead to fewer films and poorer products. Utilizing partnerships with foreign nations inadvertently creates stronger international ties, since it becomes a collaborative agreement. By increasing the price of filming in the United States, the movie industry could become more reliant on international business, rather than domestic filming.Â
While it’s not clear whether Trump intends to keep his promise to add a 100% tariff on movies filmed outside of the United States, it is clear that no one quite knows what to expect.