Trump "Instructed to review a 100% tariff on foreign films... Protecting the U.S. film industry is a security issue"

Trump takes action to protect domestic film industry (Source: Yonhap News)

Donald Trump, President of the United States, has instructed to start procedures for imposing tariffs of up to 100% on foreign films. President Trump announced this through Truth Social, which he operates, on the 4th (local time), claiming that the decline of the American film industry is soon a threat to national security.

He pointed out that “The American film industry is rapidly dying” and “Foreign governments are providing various incentives to their own filmmakers, pushing American producers and studios out of the market.” He continued, claiming, “This movement is a systematic strategy, and it is an element that threatens national security in itself.” President Trump emphasized the restoration of the film industry within the United States, stating, “We want films to be made in America again.”

This measure is likely to proceed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, which allows the President to impose tariffs or import restrictions if specific import items are determined to harm U.S. national security. In the past, President Trump has applied this clause to impose tariffs on items such as steel, aluminum, and semiconductors.

This foreign film tariff measure is also expected to proceed on the same logic, and the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) are expected to soon begin impact analysis and investigations related to this.

President Trump had also expressed his commitment to rebuilding the film industry in January. At that time, he appointed famous actors such as Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson as 'Hollywood envoys', declaring, “I will bring back the Hollywood business that has gone overseas.”

This announcement is interpreted as a signal that the protectionist tone of the second term of the Trump administration is expanding across the cultural industry. Given that political messages and cultural content are intertwined, if actual tariffs are imposed in the future, the diplomatic repercussions are expected to be significant.