Teamsters Union Backs Trump’s Proposed Film Tariff, Citing Job Protection

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a major labor union in the United States, has voiced strong support for former President Donald Trump’s proposal to impose a 100% tariff on films produced outside of the country. Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien and Motion Picture Division Director Lindsay Dougherty issued a statement praising Trump’s stance, framing it as a necessary measure to protect American jobs and revitalize the domestic film industry.

Trump’s initial call for the tariff came in a Truth Social post, where he lamented the "dying" state of the American movie industry. He attributed this decline to foreign countries offering incentives to lure filmmakers and studios away from the United States, resulting in the "devastation" of Hollywood and other related sectors. To combat this, Trump announced his intention to instruct the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to implement a 100% tariff on all movies entering the country that were produced in foreign lands.

The Teamsters’ endorsement of this proposal highlights the growing concern within the labor movement about the outsourcing of jobs in the entertainment industry. In their statement, O’Brien and Dougherty accused Hollywood studios of "hollowing out" the industry by prioritizing cheap overseas production costs over investing in the American workforce. They argued that studios were exploiting tax loopholes and abandoning American crews to maximize profits, while the Teamsters’ members were suffering the consequences.

"For years, Hollywood studios have hollowed out the industry by following Corporate America’s crooked playbook of outsourcing good union jobs," the Teamsters’ statement read. "Studios chase cheap production costs overseas while gutting the American workforce that built the film and TV industry."

The union emphasized that studios benefiting from American box office revenues should be obligated to invest in American workers. The statement went on to explicitly thank Trump for his support, stating, "We thank President Trump for boldly supporting good union jobs when others have turned their heads. This is a strong step toward finally reining in the studios’ un-American addiction to outsourcing our members’ work."

The Teamsters also made it clear that their support for the tariff was not tied to any particular political party. They asserted that they would applaud any elected official, regardless of their political affiliation, who was willing to fight for American workers. "The Teamsters applaud any elected official — Republican, Democrat, Independent — who’s willing to fight for American workers," the statement read.

The union expressed its commitment to working with the Trump administration to develop a trade agenda that would benefit its members and workers throughout the American motion picture and TV industry. They concluded by reiterating the need to bring production back to America and create good film jobs at home.

Sean O’Brien further elaborated on the Teamsters’ position in an interview on Fox News’ "America Reports." He reaffirmed his support for Trump’s proposed policy, emphasizing that America possesses the most creative workforce and actors. He criticized Hollywood leaders for prioritizing financial considerations over artistic merit.

During the interview, Fox News host John Roberts questioned O’Brien about the Democratic Party’s perceived "demonizing" of Trump. O’Brien suggested that the Democratic Party was reflexively opposed to anything Trump advocated, regardless of its potential benefits.

"I think I’ve said this before, whatever President Trump does, even if it’s good for this country, just because his name is Trump, he’s not gonna get the support," O’Brien said of the Democratic Party.

O’Brien stressed the importance of looking beyond political differences to achieve common goals, such as bringing manufacturing and jobs back to the United States. He argued that creating career paths for individuals who may not pursue a four-year college degree was crucial.

"We are looking beyond any differences of opinions that we have had with anybody," O’Brien stated. "We want to bring manufacturing back to the country. We want to bring jobs, put people to work at, have a career path. Not everybody has the ability to go to a 4-year college. There is an ability to bring manufacturing back, put people to work, have careers and live a middle-class life."

O’Brien concluded by asserting that supporting domestic production and development should be a bipartisan issue, benefiting all Americans regardless of their political affiliation. He said, "I think regardless of whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or an Independent, we should be realists and want to encourage people to develop and manufacture in this country."

The Teamsters’ support for Trump’s proposed film tariff underscores the growing debate over the future of the American film industry and the need to protect domestic jobs in an increasingly globalized market. While the proposal has drawn praise from some quarters, it has also faced criticism from those who argue that it could harm the industry and limit consumer access to foreign films. The potential economic and cultural impacts of such a tariff remain a subject of ongoing discussion and debate.