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President Trump\u2019s call to impose steep tariffs on movies<\/a> \u201cproduced in Foreign Lands\u201d came after he met at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend with the actor Jon Voight, whom he named a \u201cspecial ambassador\u201d to Hollywood this year.<\/p>\n The president\u2019s social media post on Sunday<\/a> that called for a 100 percent tariff on films produced outside the United States caused confusion in Hollywood, which has lost a great deal of local film and television production to states and nations that offer rich tax credits and cheaper labor. While few in the industry said that they understood Mr. Trump\u2019s proposal, some worried that tariffs could cause more harm than good and called instead for federal help in the form of tax credits.<\/p>\n Mr. Voight and Steven Paul, his longtime manager, met with Mr. Trump over the weekend and shared their plans to increase domestic film production, according to a statement from SP Media Group, Mr. Paul\u2019s firm. They suggested federal tax incentives, changes to the tax code, co-production treaties with other nations and infrastructure subsidies, the statement said.<\/p>\n The proposal also included \u201ctariffs in certain limited circumstances,\u201d the statement said, adding that it was under review.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr. Voight made the rounds of Hollywood last week, meeting with the Motion Picture Association, Hollywood\u2019s top lobbying group; various unions; and the state representatives who are pushing bills to increase state tax credits for the film and television industries. State Senator Ben Allen, Democrat of Los Angeles, met with the actor to discuss how to increase production in the state, a representative said.<\/p>\n Much about Mr. Trump\u2019s effort remains unclear. What kinds of movies, exactly, would face tariffs? Would tariffs apply only to movies receiving tax incentives from foreign countries \u2014 or to any movie with scenes shot overseas? What about foreign films? Or postproduction visual effects work? Amid those and many other questions, several analysts said it was highly unlikely that a 100 percent tariff on all movies made overseas would materialize.<\/p>\n On Monday morning a spokesman for the White House, Kush Desai, clarified that \u201cno final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made\u201d but added that \u201cthe administration is exploring all options to deliver on President Trump\u2019s directive.\u201d Mr. Trump told reporters on Monday<\/a> that he planned to meet with entertainment industry representatives, adding: \u201cI\u2019m not looking to hurt the industry; I want to help the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n The industry has been desperate for help, just not this kind.<\/p>\n Generous government incentives and cheaper labor have lured film and television to shoot many of their projects far from Hollywood, even though a vast majority of movies shown in American cinemas are technically produced in the United States.<\/p>\n That has left Los Angeles in a lurch<\/a>. Thousands of middle-class film workers \u2014 camera operators, set decorators, lighting technicians, makeup artists, caterers, electricians \u2014 have seen work evaporate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In a statement on Monday, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees said tens of thousands of jobs across the United States had been lost in the past two years.<\/p>\n \u201cThe United States needs a balanced federal response to return film and television jobs,\u201d the union\u2019s president, Matthew D. Loeb, said. The union praised Mr. Trump for recognizing the threat that international competition poses to domestic film industry jobs, but Mr. Loeb said \u201cwe await further information on the administration\u2019s proposed tariff plan.\u201d He added that the union said it would not support a plan that would harm its Canadian members, or the industry overall.<\/p>\n Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the head of SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents actors, said in a statement, \u201cWe look forward to learning more about the specifics of the plan announced by the president and to advancing a dialogue to achieve our common goals.\u201d<\/p>\n Industry workers and state officials have sought to increase the amount of funding for filming made available by the state of California, and some have also begun pushing for a federal tax credit that can layer on top of state incentives. (More than three dozen states already offer incentives<\/a> to lure film and television production.)<\/p>\n