Trump threatens 100% tariffs on films - Hollywood in turmoil!

Trump threatens 100% tariffs on films - Hollywood in turmoil!

Hollywood, USA - President Donald Trump has announced that it can raise customs surcharges of 100% to films produced abroad. This decision is viewed by the US film industry with skepticism because it brings significant uncertainties. Entertainer Jonathan Handel describes this policy as nonsensical and not understandable for the industry. With this measure, Trump pursues the goal of bringing film production more into the USA, based on his motto "Make America Great Again".

The reaction of the film industry to this announcement is behavior. After the announcement, the stock price of many entertainment companies fell, which reflects the nervousness in industry. The exact impact of the customs surcharges on television series remains unclear. Trade indicates that films are considered intellectual property and not how physical goods can be taxed. The possibly new tariffs could harm the US market, lead to fewer productions and higher prices.

threat to the US film industry

Trump sees the American film industry as existentially threatened by the incentives of other countries that remove filmmakers and studios. He described this situation as "danger to national security". Film scientist Vinzenz Hediger, however, criticizes Trump's understanding of the industry and asks how tariffs are to be raised on individual films or cinema tickets. Many film productions take place outside of the United States, especially in countries such as Canada, Australia or Germany. The switch to international locations is often due to better infrastructure and lower production costs.

The American film industry is heavily dependent on international markets. Over 50% of the income comes from abroad. This is even more difficult by the growing competition from countries such as India, China and Japan, which have developed their own film industries. According to Hediger, customs policy could also have a negative impact on German companies, especially on smaller export companies, since they are faced with higher costs.

economic effects and future outlook

The US film industry offers over 2.3 million jobs and generated sales of $ 279 billion in 2022. In 2023, strikes of screenwriters and actors severely affected the industry and paralyzed Hollywood. Despite the challenges, surveys show that there are many outside the USA for the preferred film production locations for 2025 and 2026, with Toronto emerging as the leader.

The production expenditure in the United States was around $ 14.5 billion in 2024, which corresponds to a decline of 26% since 2022. Industry insiders emphasize that taxes are necessary to improve the production conditions instead of raising new tariffs. The official reaction of the film studios and industry organizations is still pending.

Overall, the current situation of the US film industry shows that the announced tariffs can raise both economic and structural questions and have far-reaching consequences for international film trade. zdf.de report on the various dimensions of these controversy announcement.