U.S. movie tariffs will make the country an isolated cultural island

Editor's note: Anthony Moretti, a special commentator for CGTN, is an associate professor at the Department of Communication and Organizational Leadership at Robert Morris University in the U.S. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of either CGTN or Robert Morris University.

Out of nowhere, U.S. President Donald Trump has decided that America's movie industry needs to be made great again. In fact, for decades it has been. Nothing has changed.

In a social media post made on Sunday evening, the president claimed that the U.S. movie industry "is DYING a very fast death" and many famous locations throughout the country "are being devastated" because incentives are in place to make movie production less expensive elsewhere.

As a result, he has authorized the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to prepare 100 percent tariffs "on any and all movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands."

The numbers do not square with the president's assertions. According to an estimate by the-numbers.com, the U.S. produces nearly 26,000 movies each year; the next highest country makes roughly 5,000. Moreover, worldwide box office sales from U.S.-made movies totaled more than $650 billion in one recent year. The country second on that list totaled roughly $60 billion.

There is no other way to say this: The U.S. remains the undisputed global leader when it comes to movies. While other nations, most notably the United Kingdom and China, which rank second and third in key categories, should also be proud of the work producers, directors, animators, actors and more are creating in those countries, America is still number one.

Attempting to guess what led to Trump's social media blast is likely futile, but perhaps he is finally learning about China's recent smash hit Ne Zha 2. AFP reported that this animated movie became the first to generate $1 billion in ticket sales in any domestic market. That alone could anger the U.S. administration because it means the U.S. is looking up at another country. That dollar figure has long since soared past $2 billion in global revenue, a sign that the Chinese movie industry will remain a significant player in years to come. That should be celebrated.

The techniques of Chinese moviemaking deserve study by Americans, Europeans and others – reminding us that, whatever our industry, we all have much to learn from the world – perhaps everyone except the Trump administration?

But another item cannot be forgotten when considering what might be influencing the president's thinking. The administration's decision, presuming of course that it does not change its mind as it has done with other tariff announcements, ensures that the global trade war now includes movies. Not satisfied with restricting America's businesses and consumers access to everything from high-end technology to inexpensive clothing, the administration is now determined to make ticket prices for international films more expensive.

Keep in mind that the effects of ridiculously high tariffs on imports are already starting to become noticeable, higher prices are pinching the budgets of U.S. citizens. That means everything is more expensive, and by extension it is possible that Americans will walk away from any internationally produced film once they see the higher ticket prices. Could that be what the administration wants?

As has been true with other tariff announcements, the U.S. administration is determined to either fix something that is not broken (the domestic movie industry) or is not returning to life (a large-scale employment base in manufacturing). In doing so, it continues to ignore advice from experts in multiple industries. Whether anyone on Trump’s cabinet or among his many advisers can convince him that seeking sanctions against the global movie industry is futile cannot be predicted. But the decision is illogical.

The facts do not lie: The U.S. film industry is not in danger of being over-taken by another country. There is no chance the magic of Hollywood and other locations that are popular as movie sites will die. Imposing tariffs or other barriers on foreign films will not benefit the U.S. movie industry; instead, such choices risk turning the country into an isolated cultural (not to mention economic when other tariffs are considered) island.

One wonders if the Trump administration's vision for America is that it becomes a nation that creates all that it needs, produces all the entertainment options its people desire, instills in America's students values that are not influenced from abroad, declares war whenever any other country dares to defy the U.S. and sustains itself with a military that is the envy of the world. Of course, that cannot happen, but the administration refuses to understand that.

Perhaps someone in the U.S. movie industry will turn those ideas into a movie. It would be a dark tale, and it would convey a message that no country would want to offer.

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