Title: Trump's Tariff Crusade Intensifies: Filming Frenzy Unleashed
Contemporary Political Landscape of the Nation
New York - Donald Trump, the infamous TPTB (two-term president), has struck cinematic chaos with his latest move, threatening foreign-made films. In a ballsy, Sunday night post on Truth Social, he declared the authorization of the Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to impose a whopping 100% tariff on any pictures from abroad.
"Tinsel Town is gasping its final breaths," Trump wrote, ranting about how foreign lands are wooing filmmakers and studios away from American shores with generous incentives. "This cross-border charm offensive is a national security threat," he cried, dismissing it as "pro-Communist propaganda!"
The White House is scratching its head, trying to decipher the president's desires. Kush Desai, the official spokesperson, shared that while no concrete decisions have been made regarding foreign film tariffs, they are examining ways to give Trump his wish and "make Hollywood great again."
Mingling big-budget productions and nomadic filming locations is common in today's industry. Upcoming blockbuster "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning", for instance, is being shot around the globe. Yet, Trump's tariffs are geared towards promoting domestic products, and it's a well-known fact that American-produced films dominate the domestic market landscape.
Incentives, Vanishing Cali, and Rising Stars
China has powerful paws in their domestic movie market. The animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" recently earned more than $2 billion. However, sales were almost entirely confined within its borders, netting just $20.9 million in North America.
Meanwhile, in New Zealand, where generous rebates and incentives have induced Hollywood to flock in recent years, the film industry generates colossal tourism revenue, thanks to the "Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" films exposing their pristine and dramatic scenery. More recent blockbuster hits like "Minecraft" were filmed entirely within the country, raking in $777 million USD in return for NZ$200 million in subsidies (according to government figures), all at the whim of Trump's potential tariff tantrums.
The prime minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, is waiting for more details about Trump's measures before commenting on them, continuing his relentless pursuit of attracting filmmakers from Bollywood and other regions. "We own the best spots for cinematic wonders," Luxon said.
The Motion Picture Association, a group representing major U.S. film studios and streaming services, refused to comment on Trump's thunderous proposal. But if implemented, Trump's tariff tirade could bury Hollywood's export profits, which were worth $22.6 billion in 2023, with a trade surplus of $15.3 billion.
The 'Tariff Man' Reign
Trump has earned the moniker 'tariff man' by imposing taxes on goods from around the world. This includes a 145% tariff on Chinese products and a 10% baseline tariff on goods from other countries, with calls for higher levies echoing in the wind.
Unilaterally imposing tariffs gives Trump leverage over international commerce, causing political risks and unpredictability in the market. Car goods, steel and aluminum, pharmaceuticals, and more imports are slapped with tariffs, with further imports (like those from New Zealand) under threat in the near future.
Trump has long fretted about the exit of movie production from the United States. Before taking office, he appointed actors Mel Gibson, Jon Voight, and Sylvester Stallone as "special ambassadors" to Hollywood with the mission of bringing it back "BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!"
US film and television production has faced setbacks recently, with pandemic disruptions, labor strikes, and wildfires hurting production in the LA area. As a result, overall production across the US dipped by 26% last year (2023) compared to 2021, according to ProdPro data.
- The proposed tariffs on foreign films by President Trump could potentially disrupt the general news landscape, as American-produced films dominate the domestic market and the Motion Picture Association has expressed concern about its export profits.
- In the realm of policy-and-legislation, Trump's tariff policy, including his impositions on Chinese products and potential tariffs on films from countries like New Zealand, have been criticized for creating political risks and unpredictability in the business world.
- In the arena of politics, Trump's appointment of actors Mel Gibson, Jon Voight, and Sylvester Stallone as "special ambassadors" to Hollywood shows his commitment to promoting the American film industry, which he has long feared is losing ground to foreign competition due to incentives offered by countries like New Zealand.
- In the sphere of law and government, Trump's Use of tariffs as a tool to influence international commerce raises questions about the balance between national security and free trade, particularly in regards to the film industry, where big-budget productions often film across multiple countries, including the United States.
