• by Steven Rosenbaum , Featured Contributor, May 5, 2025

Donald Trump’s latest policy punch — a proposed tariff on U.S.-backed film and television productions made outside the country — isn’t just ill-conceived. It’s cynical, performative, and wildly out of step with how modern filmmaking actually works.

The pitch is familiar: Slap a tariff on so-called “offshored” film production and bring jobs “back home.” It’s the kind of economic nationalism that plays well on cable news and in campaign rallies. But in the real world — where stories are told across borders, budgets are stitched together with tax incentives and global partnerships, and streamers like Netflix operate sprawling international production ecosystems — this proposal is nothing short of sabotage.

And not the clever kind. This isn’t a policy designed to strengthen American storytelling. It’s a wrecking ball aimed at a system Trump doesn’t understand — and likely resents.

A Global Industry, By Design

Let’s be clear: Hollywood hasn’t been confined to Los Angeles since before “The Matrix.” Today’s entertainment economy is global by necessity. If you're shooting a sci-fi epic, you might film exteriors in New Zealand, visual effects in London, post-production in Montreal, and sound mixing in Burbank. It's not about dodging labor costs — it's about sourcing talent, securing locations, and leveraging regional incentives that help stretch a dollar into on-screen impact.

Production hubs like Vancouver, Toronto, Budapest, and even Bogotá aren’t competitors to U.S. labor — they’re collaborators in a vast, interlinked creative pipeline. The crews are experienced. The equipment is state-of-the-art. The incentives are legal and above-board. And the result is a better product that might otherwise never get greenlit.

This isn’t some backroom scheme to “ship jobs overseas.” It’s how the modern film economy stays afloat.

Who It Hurts

Trump’s tariff plan — floated as part of his larger 2025 economic strategy — threatens to blow up this fragile ecosystem. And the casualties won’t be the “Hollywood elites” he loves to demonize.

Start with independent filmmakers. For smaller projects, international co-production is often the only way to access financing, skilled crews, and locations that don’t break the bank. Tariffs would raise costs, choke off access, and kill projects before they start.

Next, consider the below-the-line workers in the U.S. — editors, post-production artists, composers — whose jobs are sustained by international productions that finish in America, even if they shoot elsewhere. When a show wraps in Prague but cuts in Brooklyn, that’s still good-paying domestic work. But if the entire model collapses under tariffs, that work doesn’t come “home” — it disappears.

Then there’s the talent pipeline. Writers, directors, and actors from around the world have always enriched the American screen. This policy sends a message that collaboration is a liability and a taxable offense.

Who Wins?

At first glance, you might think Trump’s move could benefit U.S.-based studios and soundstages. But even they aren’t asking for this. Why? Because film is a risk-heavy business, and flexibility is key to keeping projects alive. Limiting production options shrinks margins, stifles creativity, and reduces the volume of content that gets made — especially the kind that reaches global audiences.

And what about the streamers?

Take Netflix. The streamer produces content in over 50 countries, often with local crews, in local languages, for both regional and global distribution. From “Lupin” in France to “Money Heist” in Spain to “The Crown” in the U.K., production is not a sideline for Netflix — it’s a core strategy. The streamer isn’t dabbling abroad, but building global franchises, local stars, and scalable storytelling pipelines.

A tariff would squeeze Netflix — and not just at the margins. It could force strategic pivots, price hikes, or even fewer original productions. That doesn’t make America stronger. It makes American audiences poorer — in content, in choice, in culture.

Amazon, Apple TV+, Disney+, and even YouTube Originals all lean heavily on international content as part of their expansion strategies. If Trump’s tariff becomes reality, these platforms will either pass costs to consumers or simply make less. Either way, it’s bad for business, bad for creators, and bad for viewers.

A Revenge Fantasy in Policy Drag

So who’s cheering for this?

Not unions. SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America have long recognized the value of international collaboration, as long as domestic labor standards and union protections are upheld.

Neither are studios, streamers, the production infrastructure community — and not audiences.

So why propose it?

The answer lies in Trump’s longstanding grudge against the entertainment industry. Hollywood players never embraced him, but rejected — and in his eyes, betrayed him. This isn’t economic policy; it’s emotional payback.

It’s not unlike his attacks on public media, the arts, and cultural funding. It’s part of a broader authoritarian vision of American culture — one where dissent is punished, creativity is suspect, and narrative must serve the regime.

If this sounds like hyperbole, just look at the pattern. Cut funding to the National Endowment for the Arts. Target libraries and universities. Ban books. Smear journalists. Now, kneecap the global storytelling apparatus under the banner of “patriotism.”

It’s not about America First. It’s about Control First.

A Dangerous Precedent

There’s also the chilling precedent this sets. If we start taxing creativity that crosses borders, what’s next? Do we penalize co-authored novels? Cross-border podcasts? International research collaborations?

The free flow of ideas is the lifeblood of democracy and innovation. Tariffs on storytelling signal a turn toward isolationism — not just politically, but culturally. That’s a loss no nation can afford.

Especially not one that claims to lead the world in entertainment.

What Happens Next?

Trump has made it clear he sees the entertainment industry not as a cultural export or economic powerhouse, but as an ideological enemy. This tariff is punishment disguised as patriotism. It’s a loyalty test — a message to the studios, streamers, and creators: Play by his rules, or pay the price.

And let’s be clear: This won’t be the last blow. It’ll be the first in a series of targeted attacks on free expression, cross-border storytelling, and the global media ecosystem.

Because for Trump, this isn’t about jobs. It’s about control.

Note: The author is a longtime member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA), and was one of the founders of PGA East.