Report Trump’s Movie Tariff Threatens Thailand’s Role as a Hollywood Filming Hub

[snoop1130]

File photo for reference only

 

In a bold policy announcement, US President Donald Trump revealed plans to impose a 100% tariff on films produced outside the United States, targeting a dynamic shift affecting the American movie industry. Speaking on Truth Social, Trump argued that foreign nations offering significant incentives to filmmakers posed a “national security threat,” claiming these tactics contribute to the decline of US-based film production.

 

The tariff's unexpected nature has left many in the industry scrambling for clarity, as Trump insisted on swift action through the Department of Commerce. Yet, critical questions remain unanswered, including whether the tariffs would impact both theatrical releases and streaming services or how they would be calculated—by production cost or box office revenue.

 

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed the Department's immediate engagement with the policy but did not elaborate on specifics. Meanwhile, the Motion Picture Association, representing major studios, has yet to issue a formal response, deepening the uncertainty within Hollywood.

 

At stake is both the geographic and economic landscape of US film production. For years, filmmakers have gravitated towards countries like Canada, Britain, and Australia, drawn by lucrative tax incentives designed to offset production costs. Notably, locations such as New Zealand gained fame as the backdrop for iconic films like The Lord of the Rings, while Australia has hosted Marvel blockbusters.

 

The ripple effects of Trump’s tariff announcement have already reached shores abroad. Australian and New Zealand officials have expressed readiness to safeguard their film industries, recognising the potential to benefit from a US slowdown amid ongoing trade tensions.

 

According to research by ProdPro, nearly half of all spending by US producers on high-budget film and TV projects now occurs outside the country, driven by both economic incentives and recent natural disasters in California. The January wildfires exacerbated these concerns, as producers and crews reconsider filming in Los Angeles—a city where production has fallen by nearly 40% over the last decade.

 

The competitive gap highlights urgent conversations underway in Hollywood, with industry leaders urging Governor Gavin Newsom to enhance California's own tax incentives to retain and attract productions. In this delicate climate, former Commerce official William Reinsch warns that retaliatory tariffs from overseas could prove disastrous for the American industry. "The retaliation will kill our industry. We have a lot more to lose than to gain," Reinsch asserts, questioning the viability of Trump's national security argument for films.

 

Trump's proposed tariff joins a series of trade conflicts initiated during his administration, each raising questions about the broader economic impact. As Hollywood grapples with the potential fallout, the prospect of increased costs and global pushback looms—posing troubling questions about the future of film production in America.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Reuters via Thai Newsroom 2025-05-05

 

 

[smedly]

6 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Hollywood Filming Hub

 

 

LMAO

[NoDisplayName]

Thanks, Donald!

 

Now we get more of this, and nothing but this.

 

 

Theater owners won't be pleased, though....

 

[JackGats]

If the Hollywood film industry wants to make Snow White movies with a black actress as Snow White, even 500% tariffs will not save it.

[rbkk]

So the 'White Lotus" affect on Koh Samui room rates may be a one-off. Thank Trump for that!

[BritScot]

Couldn't even read this dribble once I read the first sentence! Former president Donald Trump. That one very disrespectful sentance showed the twisted negative rubbish that was bound to follow.  Trump is the president so get over it! I wish we had a Trump in the UK 🇬🇧. 

[bannork]

16 minutes ago, BritScot said:

Couldn't even read this dribble once I read the first sentence! Former president Donald Trump. That one very disrespectful sentance showed the twisted negative rubbish that was bound to follow.  Trump is the president so get over it! I wish we had a Trump in the UK 🇬🇧. 

You've got Nigel, a Trump wannabe until he realised how unpopular Trump is in the UK 

[cjinchiangrai]

Another idiot move from an idiot president. It won't work. His media enablers also make those movies so expect another flip from the flop.

[SABloke]

How do you impose a tariff on a movie? Normally, film crews go to countries and hire local production companies etc. to deal with logistics and operations etc. Then they head back to the US with a bunch of film assets which then goes into post-production in the USA. The film has no intrinsic "value" until the end of all its commercial sales (box office, digital downloads, etc.)

[Harrisfan]

1 minute ago, SABloke said:

How do you impose a tariff on a movie? Normally, film crews go to countries and hire local production companies etc. to deal with logistics and operations etc. Then they head back to the US with a bunch of film assets which then goes into post-production in the USA. The film has no intrinsic "value" until the end of all its commercial sales (box office, digital downloads, etc.)

Be foreign films I guess.

[riclag]

53 minutes ago, BritScot said:

Couldn't even read this dribble once I read the first sentence! Former president Donald Trump. That one very disrespectful sentance showed the twisted negative rubbish that was bound to follow.  Trump is the president so get over it! I wish we had a Trump in the UK 🇬🇧. 

Close your eyes and click your heals 3x and make a wish! “Theres no place like 

where and when I was born”!

“Theres no place like 

where and when I was born”!

“Theres no place like 

where and when I was born”!

Dreams do come true , it may happen to you.

 

Some Movie industry legends like

Mel Gibson would approve!

[NoDisplayName]

2 hours ago, JackGats said:

If the Hollywood film industry wants to make Snow White movies with a black actress as Snow White, even 500% tariffs will not save it.

 

Snape of colour.

 

 

Disney's Doctor They/Them

 

 

Marvel's Silver SurfHer

 

 

Scooby Don't!

 

 

What next?

 

Tariffs on imported beer?

 

Hold my Bud Lite!

 

[NoDisplayName]

1 hour ago, BritScot said:

I wish we had a Trump in the UK 🇬🇧. 

 

So do we, buddy, so do we.

[cjinchiangrai]

1 minute ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

So do we, buddy, so do we.

Because Brexit worked out so well.

[TheAppletons]

1 hour ago, BritScot said:

 I wish we had a Trump in the UK 🇬🇧. 

 

   You do.  In the UK I believe it's called "cancer".  

[ronnie50]

Hate to say it, but a tariff could be placed on movies shot outside of the US. The fact they are assembled/voiced/post in the US is unlikely to prevent a tariff of some kind. Chump means he wants the movies to be 'shot' in the USA (as near as I can figure his little brain's thought process). I can't count the number of times I've recognized Canadian cities in blockbuster US movies that are supposed to be DC or LA.

[josephbloggs]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

 

 

LMAO

Another Smedly special. What's so funny? Care to explain? 

466 foreign film shoots in Thailand in 2023 (movies, TVCs, TV series), and 34 of those were American productions. Thailand hosts more film productions than any other SE Asian nation by quite a long way. Hollywood has been shooting here since the 60s.

I know the world "hub" gets used a lot here, but in film production it really is a regional hub, and anyone who laughs at that notion is completely ignorant. Hi Smedly.

[Patong2021]

6 hours ago, JackGats said:

If the Hollywood film industry wants to make Snow White movies with a black actress as Snow White, even 500% tariffs will not save it.

 

Is this how you tell the world that you are  biased against black people  without being explicit? 

Rachel Zegler, the principal of  the current release,  is a white latina. Her father is Polish and her mother Columbian. Whether or not an actress is of a specific ethnicity is irrelevant.  Snow White is a faerie tale.  If you wish to be a an absolutist, then only an emaciated German should play the role as per the Brothers Grimm tale.

 

 

 

[Patong2021]

More  attention  seeking stupidity form a man who knows  little about the film industry.

Multiple estimates and studies indicate that approximately 70% of  US film industry revenue is derived from foreign markets.

Impose a tariff on  the film producers and the foreign markets will do similar, killing  foreign revenues and facilitating pirating of  product.

You can't make realistic films about foreign locales unless you film there. US  locations don't like the presence of film crews. People complain about traffic congestion or the inconveniences. There are always the threats of litigation. US locations  that offer the kind of  urban setting needed for some shoots  are lacking. Local taxes are high. Deal with those issues, and maybe more films will be made in the USA.

[ukrules]

10 hours ago, rbkk said:

So the 'White Lotus" affect on Koh Samui room rates may be a one-off. Thank Trump for that!

 

Pinewood Studios is very popular, always has been

[webfact]

 

[John Drake]

I hate him. Prayuth was better.

[WorriedNoodle]

Jon Voight, named a “special ambassador” to Hollywood by President Trump in January 2025, significantly influenced the 100% tariff proposal on foreign films announced on May 4, 2025. Voight, along with his manager Steven Paul and SP Media Group’s Scott Karol, met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, presenting a “comprehensive plan” to boost U.S. film production. This plan included federal tax incentives, co-production treaties, and infrastructure subsidies, but only mentioned tariffs “in certain limited circumstances.” Trump’s subsequent announcement of a sweeping 100% tariff exceeded Voight’s proposal, suggesting Trump amplified the tariff idea beyond Voight’s intent. Sources, including Politico and NBC News, credit Voight with planting the tariff concept, though Trump framed it as his own initiative, citing national security and Hollywood’s decline.

 

Voight’s recent film career, with roles in lower-profile projects like Man with No Past and High Ground, lacks the critical or commercial weight of his earlier work (Midnight Cowboy, Coming Home). Similarly, Trump’s other ambassadors, Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson, are known for action and conservative-leaning genre films, limiting their representation of the diverse film industry. This narrow focus raises questions about their suitability to shape policy for an art form that thrives on global perspectives and creative freedom.

 

The arts, including film, are often seen as a liberal domain, reflecting global events and cultural exchange. Tariffs threatening international collaboration could stifle creativity and economic viability, as many U.S. films rely on foreign locations for authenticity and cost savings. Critics on X and industry experts argue that such protectionism ignores the globalized nature of storytelling, potentially harming Hollywood more than helping it. Voight’s influence, while notable, appears to have been a starting point for Trump’s broader, more punitive policy, which risks undermining the industry’s liberal and global ethos.

[JackGats]

12 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Is this how you tell the world that you are  biased against black people  without being explicit? 

Rachel Zegler, the principal of  the current release,  is a white latina. Her father is Polish and her mother Columbian. Whether or not an actress is of a specific ethnicity is irrelevant.  Snow White is a faerie tale.  If you wish to be a an absolutist, then only an emaciated German should play the role as per the Brothers Grimm tale.

 

 

 

Snow = white.

White = white.

 

Not brown, not black. Is that so difficult to understand?

[CallumWK]

More winning for the US consumer.

Either they will be deprived of foreign produced movies, even if they are actually US movies, or their ticket price will double.

 

Not tired of winning yet?

[Hamus Yaigh]

When Amazon's next Bond movie comes out with all the London scenes filmed using CGI in California to overcome the Jon Voight tariffs - think I'll give it a miss and sit down to one of Voight's or Stallones latest classic B movie collection.

[WorriedNoodle]

So Bessent was lying when he said on Apr-2 the tariffs were the ceiling and not to retaliate?

[pacovl46]

19 hours ago, BritScot said:

Couldn't even read this dribble once I read the first sentence! Former president Donald Trump. That one very disrespectful sentance showed the twisted negative rubbish that was bound to follow.  Trump is the president so get over it! I wish we had a Trump in the UK 🇬🇧. 

Trump is a delusional c.nt and the people who voted for him are blind sheep! 

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Trump argued that foreign nations offering significant incentives to filmmakers posed a “national security threat,” claiming these tactics contribute to the decline of US-based film production.

Thailand just can't catch a break

[factual monk]

Trump is hell bound to f&@* the S&@^ out of Thai economy...

whatever they (thai auth) propose... next week we find a new tariff announcement...  😆 🤣 😂 😹