Kansas professor weighs in on Trump's 100% foreign film tariffs
TOPEKA (KSNT) - A Washburn University media professor and film industry veteran weighs in following President Trump's announcement of 100% tariffs on foreign films.
The announcement made Sunday, April 4 by Trump has sent the film industry into a frenzy, with shares of Warner Bros., Disney, Netflix and more entertainment companies taking a hit early Monday morning.
27 News met with Washburn University Associate Professor of Film and Mass Media, Matthew Nyquist to understand the potential impact of these tariffs.Following the Covid pandemic and Hollywood strikes, Nyquist said the president is correct that the film industry is in a downturn.
The professor disagrees with the solution lying in a tariff tax, believing instead tax incentives could have the intended outcome of bringing and keeping jobs in our country.
“Wherever the tax incentives are, that’s where filmmakers shoot," Nyquist said. "The thing that really worries me about this is that film is a huge export of the United States. It’s usually around 10 billion [dollars] give or take that we take in revenue exporting our Hollywood movies to other countries.”
The professor said any reciprocal tariffs countries impose on U.S. films would have a major impact on movie productions going forward. The Motion Picture Association said the film industry exports over 3X the value of imports.
It's still unclear at the time of writing how the tariffs will be implemented on foreign film products, whether that cost is seen at movie theaters, through streaming platforms or film production.
Earlier this year a bill was introduced that would create a tax credit for film and media production within the sunflower state. It didn't get far this session, but it could get taken up again when lawmakers return in January, 2026.
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