Trump renews pledge to impose 100% tariff on foreign films

President Donald Trump on Monday renewed a pledge to impose a 100 percent tariff on films made outside the United States, posting on his Truth Social platform that "Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries" and asserting that "I will be imposing a 100 Tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States." The post, which also criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom, did not specify when such a levy would take effect.

The announcement repeats an initial threat the president made in May and escalates a long-running dispute over incentives offered by other countries to lure film and television productions. In his earlier statement, the president said he would direct the Department of Commerce and the Office of the United States Trade Representative to begin the process of instituting the tariff. Monday’s post reiterated that position but provided no legal blueprint or timeline for implementation.

Industry and policy analysts say major questions remain about the authority and mechanics of a tariff on imported films. It was not immediately clear what legal basis the administration would invoke to apply a...