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Trump Calls for 100% Tariff on Foreign Movies, With Hollywood Seeking Answers

It’s not just hard goods like cars and smartphones. Tariffs could become a factor in the costs of making and watching movies.

Movies are a new focal point for the Trump administration’s campaign to impose tariffs across a wide range of industries, from tech to textiles and beyond. 

In a Sunday night social media post, President Donald Trump said the US movie industry «is DYING a very fast death.» He wrote that he’s authorizing a 100% tariff «on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.»

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick quoted the president and responded, «We’re on it.»

Trump’s latest tariff call to action raised a host of questions without much direction on where the answers might lie. What criteria define how a movie is produced overseas? Would the tariffs affect only future releases or would they also apply to films already in the market, like the the wildly successful A Minecraft Movie, which was mostly shot in New Zealand? US film studios often shoot overseas with the help of incentives from countries. The tariffs almost certainly would affect foreign-made films such as the Oscar-winning animated film Flow from Latvia. 

From the Los Angeles set of a Toyota commercial, director and Tulsa King actor James Quattrochi told CNET that his phone began to blow up last night on the Trump news. «Everyone’s calling me and I go, ‘I’m not the White House, why are you asking me?'»  

As pointed out by The Hollywood Reporter and others, it’s unclear how streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu would be affected, such as the potential impact on subscriber fees and the kinds of content that those services offer. And what about TV shows? Among the top hits on Netflix alone are Squid Game, from South Korea, and The Crown, from the UK.

Trump contended in his social media post that foreign tax incentives for movie production amount to «a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat,» which allows him to levy tariffs under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act. That claim would be open to legal challenge.

It’s also unclear if film tariffs would be considered legal in light of Section 1702 of the US Code, which explicitly prohibits a president from regulating imports and exports of films, publications and other media.

Filmmakers weigh in 

The entertainment industry is grappling with what the tariff initiative, if implemented, could mean. In one estimate from The Wrap, an expert suggested it could cost Netflix $3 billion a year and cut 20% from its earnings.

Meanwhile, some independent filmmakers and workers noted that their industries have struggled to keep film productions in the US and that tariffs might spur reconsideration of film towns such as Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta.

Quattrochi, who is in three film-related unions, said it’s been difficult to push for incentives in California and to keep costs down.

«It’s just so expensive. And we’re fighting. … The UK, Ireland, Canada and other countries are really getting a lot of work,» he said. If tariffs against foreign film production do happen, he said, it could be enough to keep work in places like Hollywood. «People are complaining that there’s no work because everything’s leaving the country.»

Talk of a foreign movie tariff, he said, could raise awareness of the film industry’s struggle to keep it local. «Hopefully this open’s everybody’s eyes that the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles, is no longer. We need to do something.»

Filmmaker David Wortham Brooks owns a production company that Disney bought in 2019 and sold back to him in 2023. He said he’s still weighing the implications the potential tariffs will have on foreign films and licensing.

Brooks has worked on films in Morocco, Bangladesh and England, but has been based in Los Angeles primarily. As far as keeping shooting in the US, he says he favors Trump’s idea.

«Anything that could bring production back to LA, I’m all for it,» Brooks said. «The proposition of bringing it back to the states, particularly back to Hollywood, is very appealing to me. It has been slow; everything that can be done to mobilize the workforce, it is welcome in my book.»

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for July 4, #284

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 4, No. 284.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has kind of a July 4 flavor. But come on, New York Times puzzle makers, is the blue category really a sport? Read on for hints and the answers. And pass the mustard.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.  

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: What you won.

Green group hint: Lone Star State sports.

Blue group hint: Chow down.

Purple group hint: Not cold.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: A monetary reward.

Green group: A Texas basketball player.

Blue group: Nathan’s hot dog contest eating winners.

Purple group: Hot ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is a monetary reward. The four answers are prize, purse, stakes and winnings.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is a Texas basketball player. The four answers are Maverick, Rocket, Spur and Wing.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Nathan’s hot dog contest eating winners. The four answers are Bertoletti, Chestnut, Kobayashi and Sudo.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is hot ____. The four answers are corner, dog, hand and stove.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for July 4, #754

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for July 4, #754.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle was a fairly simple one, I thought. Maybe it was a July 4 gift from the puzzle-makers. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Round and round.

Green group hint: Salute.

Blue group hint: Turn the air on.

Purple group hint: Threw away your shot.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Parts of a wheel.

Green group: Military clothing descriptors.

Blue group: Used in ventilation.

Purple group: Fail to take advantage of, as an opportunity.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is parts of a wheel. The four answers are hub, rim, spoke and tire.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is military clothing descriptors. The four answers are camo, drab, fatigue and khaki.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is used in ventilation. The four answers are duct, exhaust, hose and pipe.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is fail to take advantage of, as an opportunity. The four answers are blow, lose, miss and waste.

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Technologies

Motorola’s July 4th Sale Can Save You Up to $650 on Popular Phones Like the Foldable Razr Ultra

This massive sale from Motorola brings you brand-new, unlocked Android phones, starting at just $130.

The Fourth of July holiday weekend is upon us and with it a huge array of bargains to be had. If you’ve been thinking about a new Android phone, Motorola is having a big sale on its most popular devices, making these already affordable options even more attainable. With savings of up to $650 on phones in the Razr, Edge and Moto G families, there’s something for every style and budget. Just keep in mind that these deals are likely to fade as fast as fireworks in the sky. We don’t have an exact end date, but «limited time» means if you see something you like, don’t wait.

The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is the company’s competitively priced foldable phone. You can pick one up with 1TB of storage for $1,300, which is $200 off the regular price and available in a variety of colors and finishes. If you prefer the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 model instead, you’ll find that starting at $799, again $200 less than the typical retail price. We spotted this same deal at Amazon right now as well, if you prefer to shop there.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

If the Motorola Edge lineup is more your style for a limited time, you can get the Motorola Edge 2024 for just $350 and the Motorola Edge Plus 2023 for $400, both deals reflecting a $400 savings. We also spotted the Edge 2024 for the same price of $350 at Best Buy.

And for the most wallet-friendly phones, the Moto G phones make a great option. These already super-affordable phones are now even less, including the Moto G Power 5G 2024, which is $210 at Amazon or at Motorola, a price that falls $90 below the regular cost.

More Motorola July 4th phone deals:

MOBILE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

Concerns over the rising cost of tech because of tariffs may have you feeling more urgent about getting a new phone before there’s a further price increase. Between the Fourth of July discounts and forthcoming Prime Day offers, it’s a great time to stock up on tech. Motorola is already known for making some of the more affordable Android phones on the market, including foldable options, so if you’ve been wanting to upgrade or try one out, this July 4th sale is the time to do it.

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