White House: ‘No final decisions’ on foreign film tariffs
The White House on Monday said that no final decisions have been made about tariffs on foreign firms, after President Trump a day prior called for a 100 percent tariff on movies produced in foreign countries.
“Although no final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made, the Administration is exploring all options to deliver on President Trump’s directive to safeguard our country’s national and economic security while Making Hollywood Great Again,” spokesman Kush Desai told The Hill when asked how a tariff on intellectual property would be implemented.
Trump said on Truth Social on Sunday that there’s “a concerted effort” by other countries to lure filmmakers abroad, which constitutes a threat to national security, and he argued that the movie industry in the U.S. is “dying a very fast death.”
The president said he would authorize the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to begin the process to impose a 100 percent tariff “immediately” but the move is all but certain to face legal challenges from the industry, including on free speech grounds.
Trump has imposed a 145 percent on China and 10 percent tariff on all trading partners while his administration negotiates deals with foreign countries during a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs set to expire in July.
The president has threatened industry-specific tariffs on other goods and in the case of imported automobiles and auto parts, he signed an executive order last week to scale back his 25 percent tariffs.
His use of tariffs overall has shaken global markets and led to the U.S. experiencing its first quarter of negative economic growth in years.