Online Desk : The global cinema industry is facing major upheaval after U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping 100-percent tariffs on all foreign-produced films.

The policy, revealed Sunday via Trump’s Truth Social account, is aimed at forcing a revival of domestic film production under the slogan: “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”

Trump criticized foreign governments for offering incentives that attract U.S. filmmakers abroad, branding such practices as a "national security threat" and accusing them of spreading "propaganda." He ordered federal agencies to begin immediately implementing the tariffs, though details on their enforcement remain unclear.

The proposed measure has sent shockwaves through the international film community and raised serious concerns over the future of cross-border collaboration in filmmaking. Producers and distributors now face a difficult choice: avoid the U.S. market or relocate production entirely to American soil.

“It sounds potentially disastrous for the international film industry,” a British agent told Screen Daily anonymously. Meanwhile, Matthew Deaner of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation warned the move could have "worldwide shock waves."

The tariff targets a well-established business model wherein U.S. studios film abroad to take advantage of tax breaks and subsidies offered by countries like the UK, Canada, Hungary, Spain, and Australia. These nations benefit from the jobs and economic boosts generated by such projects, AFP reports.

Many major blockbusters — including Marvel movies, James Bond films, and the upcoming Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning — are at least partially filmed overseas. Hollywood insiders fear the new policy could severely disrupt this trend.

A union representative told La Presse that a typical American production in Montreal supports as many as 2,000 local workers. Evelyne Snow, a spokeswoman for a Canadian film technicians` union, warned that fully U.S.-made productions are now rare, adding that "Hollywood is at stake."

The New York Times recently reported a significant decline in film production within Los Angeles, comparing the situation to the historic collapse of Detroit’s car manufacturing sector — a chilling parallel for the industry.

In France, Gaetan Bruel, director of the French Film Commission, cautioned European nations to brace for “a possible American offensive against our model” of state-supported culture.

Even within the U.S., the reaction has been largely skeptical. Industry magazine Variety slammed the plan, warning that it could hinder the already fragile theater industry still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. “The last thing it needs is a new tax on movie tickets,” the outlet wrote.

The film world now awaits more concrete details on the tariff’s implementation, but one thing is clear: Trump’s bold protectionist move has jolted the global entertainment industry into a period of uncertainty and anxiety.