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.

Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, questioned how such a tax would work given tariffs are typically imposed on goods and said many filmmakers were choosing to shoot films in other countries because of better incentives.

“The threat of 100% tariffs on movies made outside of the US raises more questions than it does answers,” he said.

“Filmmakers have been progressively lured by tax incentives that come from shooting movies in other parts of the world, and the Los Angeles film industry has lost its glitz and glamour.”

Mr Coatsworth said it would be difficult to define an American-made movie if a film were to be shot in the US but have foreign actors, directors, or funding.

“So it’s hard to understand just how Trump intends to impose the levy,” he said.

“Theoretically, being forced to produce movies in the US could push up their costs.

“Content makers would pass on this cost to the customer and that could hurt demand for streaming companies and cinema operators.”

He said investors did not “appear to see this as a serious threat” at present. Stocks for companies such as Netflix and Disney dipped briefly, then bounced back.

Several recent major films produced by US studios were shot outside of America, including Deadpool & Wolverine, Wicked and Gladiator II.

The US remains a major film production hub globally despite challenges, according to movie industry research firm ProdPro.

Its annual report showed the country saw $14.54bn (£10.94bn) of production spending last year. But that was down by 26% since 2022.

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

Last Updated:September 29, 2025, 19:24 IST

Goyal said the deal, which was finalised in March 2024, marks another major step in India’s global trade strategy

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal (Image: PTI/File)

India’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries — Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland — will officially come into effect from 1 October 2025, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal announced on Monday.

Speaking at the valedictory session of the UP International Trade Show, Goyal said the deal, which was finalised in March 2024, marks another major step in India’s global trade strategy.

“Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), which was finalised in March 2024, will come into effect from October 1, 2025,” he said, referring to the EFTA bloc.

This agreement adds to a growing list of trade pacts signed by India in recent years, including with the UAE, Australia, and the UK. Goyal said India is currently negotiating similar agreements with 27 other countries, including the United States, the European Union and Peru. He also confirmed that terms for a pact with the Eurasian Economic Union have already been finalised.

“Countries around the world, including developed nations, are eager to sign free trade agreements with India,” he said.

The minister also spoke about the transformation of India’s economy since 2014. He noted that foreign exchange reserves have reached USD 700 billion, nearly three times more than what the current government inherited. He predicted that within the next two years, India would become a USD 5 trillion economy, making it the third largest economy in the world.

Highlighting recent economic performance, Goyal said India’s GDP grew 7.8% in the last quarter, while inflation dropped to 2%, the lowest since independence. “In the last ten years under Prime Minister Modi, India has seen the lowest average inflation,” he said.

Reflecting on the state of the economy in 2014, he reminded the audience that India was once labelled as part of the “Fragile Five” economies.

“Earlier, government resources like 2G spectrum, coal mines, iron ore mines, contracts, used to be handed over to relatives, associates, or party members. Modi ji ensured that everything is now given only through transparent auctions,” Goyal added.

(With inputs from ANI)

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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More

The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More

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