America’s 100% film tariff: Self-protection or self-sabotage?

President Trump’s latest salvo in his trade wars—a 100% tariff on all foreign-produced films—has left even his own base scratching their heads.

The move, framed as a defense of Hollywood, may actually be its death knell. Here’s why this policy isn’t just misguided—it’s dangerously self-defeating.

1. Hollywood’s Self-Inflicted Wound

Let’s be real: Hollywood doesn’t need protection from foreign films. It needs protection from its own government’s economic illiteracy.

The North American box office is already dominated by U.S. productions—foreign films account for a sliver of the market. Slapping tariffs on them won’t "save" American cinema; it will only accelerate Hollywood’s decline by:·Crushing indie theaters that rely on foreign art films.·

Pushing more viewers to streaming, where Netflix and Amazon already call the shots. Inviting retaliation from countries that actually fund Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.

2. The Streaming Endgame

This tariff isn’t a wall—it’s a welcome mat for Silicon Valley. If foreign films get priced out of theaters, they’ll flood streaming platforms instead. That’s a disaster for traditional studios, which are already losing the war against Netflix.

Why? Because 73% of Americans now default to streaming anyway. Trump’s tariff might as well be a subsidy for Disney+’s competitors.

3. The Oscars’ Irrelevance Accelerates

The Academy has been desperately trying to stay globally relevant—hence its new diversity rules. But if foreign films can’t afford U.S. theatrical runs (thanks to tariffs), they’ll skip the Oscars entirely. The result? A once-prestigious awards show reduced to a nationalist vanity project.

4. Global Backlash: A Slow-Motion Car Crash

Hollywood’s dirty secret? It’s a global industry pretending to be American. From filming in Canada to scoring in Vienna, studios outsource to survive. If Europe and Asia retaliate with quotas or taxes, films like Mission: Impossible could lose half their revenue overnight.

5. The Real Problem No One’s Fixing

Trump’s ranting about "unfair competition" ignores the elephant in the room: making movies in America is too damn expensive.·Post-production? Cheaper in Europe.·Filming? Canada offers better tax breaks.·Visual effects? India and the UK do it for less.Instead of addressing these costs, Trump’s tariff punishes Hollywood for its own government’s failures.

6. California vs. Trump: Round 2

This isn’t just bad policy—it’s a political grenade. Hollywood employs 600,000 Californians and generates $100 billion in economic activity. When Trump’s last tariffs hit, the state sued. This time? Expect all-out war.

This tariff isn’t protection—it’s economic seppuku. It will:·Strengthen streaming giants at theaters’ expense.·Isolate American culture from global trends.·Invite devastating retaliation on a soft-power industry the U.S. still dominates.·In the end, the only thing these tariffs will "protect" is the growing consensus that America no longer understands how the modern world works.

* Zhao Yinan is a Chinese journalist based in South Africa.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.