ITIF: Film tariffs threaten US creative exports
May 7, 2025
By Colin Mann
Following President Trump’s suggestion of imposing 100 per cent tariffs on foreign films, Rodrigo Balbontin, associate director for trade, IP, and digital technology governance at science and technology policy think tank the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), argues that the idea will undermine the US film industry and open the gate for retaliation on all digital services.
“Tariffs on foreign movies will be the first measure to impose unprecedented tariffs on services,” he says. “Thanks to its digital economy, the United States has a global trade surplus on services, including films and TV, and America’s top companies export digital services. Expanding the trade war to the digital service sector will create a retaliation risk to one of the United States’s unique advantages: American creativity, innovations, and specialised knowledge.”
“Instead of tariffs, the Trump administration can protect America’s film industry by reinforcing copyright protection,” he suggests. “For example, Trump’s administration should call for Congress to pass legislation to block foreign piracy websites that hurt US creative industries. This is a proven measure, authorised by at least 50 countries, that reduces piracy, increases legal content consumption, and safeguards America’s creative industry from theft. The Trump administration should insist on stronger intellectual property protections, including copyright, with the countries that are now negotiating over the Trump tariffs,” he concludes.
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