Trump says non-US movies to be hit with 100% tariffs

Donald Trump says he will hit films made in foreign countries with 100% tariffs, as he ramps up trade disputes with nations around the world.

The US president said he was authorising the Department of Commerce and Trade Representative to start the process to impose the levy because America's film industry was dying "a very fast death".

He blamed a "concerted effort" by other countries that offer incentives to attract filmmakers and studios, which he described as a "national security threat".

Filmmakers have for years left Hollywood for destinations including the UK and Canada to lower costs. One non-US union said the tariff plan would be a "knock-out blow" to the international industry.

Countries that have attracted an increase in spending since 2022 include Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the UK, according to ProdPro.

Following Trump's remarks, Australia's home affairs minister Tony Burke said: "Nobody should be under any doubt that we will be standing up unequivocally for the rights of the Australian screen industry."

Industry body Screen Producers Australia said that while there were "many unknowns" about the plan, there was "no doubt it will send shock waves worldwide".

New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also said his government was awaiting further details of the proposed tariffs.

"But we'll be obviously a great advocate, great champion of that sector and that industry," he told a news conference.

Ahead of his inauguration, Trump appointed three film stars - Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone - to be special ambassadors tasked with promoting business opportunities in Hollywood, which he described as a "great but very troubled place".

Trump wrote at the time: "They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK - BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!"

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has imposed tariffs on countries around the world.

He argues tariffs - which are taxes charged on goods bought from other countries - will boost US manufacturers and protect jobs.

But the global economy has been thrown into chaos as a result, and prices on goods around the world are expected to rise.

Even before this most recent announcement, the US movie industry had been impacted by the fallout from Trump's trade policies.

In April, China said it was reducing its quota of American films allowed into the country.

"The wrong action of the US government to abuse tariffs on China will inevitably further reduce the domestic audience's favourability towards American films," the China Film Administration said.

"We will follow the market rules, respect the audience's choice, and moderately reduce the number of American films imported."

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