No final decision yet on Trump's tariff on foreign-made movies, White House clarifies

US President Donald Trump - File Photo

Clarifying on US President Donald Trump's Truth Social post suggesting that a tariff on foreign-made films was in the works, the White House on Monday clarified that there is no decision yet on imposing tariffs on movies produced outside the country.

“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,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told The Hollywood Reporter.

On Sunday, Trump announced a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the country, saying the American movie industry was dying a "very fast death" due to the incentives that other countries were offering to lure filmmakers.

The announcement came amid the White House coming under mounting criticism over its aggressive trade policies that have seen Trump impose sweeping tariffs on countries around the globe.

"I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands," he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

In January, Trump appointed Hollywood veterans Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson to bring Hollywood back "bigger, better and stronger than ever before."

Movie and TV production has been exiting Hollywood for years, heading to locations with tax incentives that make filming cheaper.

Governments around the world have increased credits and cash rebates to attract productions and capture a greater share of the $248 billion that Ampere Analysis predicts will be spent globally in 2025 to produce content.