Trump's call for federal film production incentive gains union support

President Donald Trump’s call for a federal incentive to bring film and television production back to the United States won support Tuesday from three major unions representing Southern California entertainment workers.

SAG-AFTRA, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Teamsters Local 399, urged Congress to act on Trump’s proposal, arguing that U.S. productions and thousands of jobs have been lost to countries offering more competitive incentives.

“President Trump's vocal and determined leadership in calling for federal production incentives is exactly what the entertainment industry needs,” SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin and National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in a joint statement.

Trump called on Congress Monday to approve a federal production incentive, saying the movement of film and television projects overseas has hurt California and other parts of the country.

“Congress should approve, immediately, a Federal Production Incentive to create Entertainment Jobs in America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump did not provide details about the size or structure of the proposed incentive but said bipartisan discussions with congressional leaders were being arranged.

Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California also called for Congress to consider and pass a federal film tax incentive, arguing it could help restore jobs lost overseas.

IATSE said Trump’s endorsement added momentum to a proposal the union has advocated for years as foreign countries increasingly use generous incentives to lure American productions.

“IATSE welcomes President Donald Trump's public endorsement of a federal film and television production incentive and is encouraged to see growing support for a policy the union has championed for years,” the union said.

IATSE said it has been working with actor Jon Voight, whom Trump appointed as a special ambassador to Hollywood, other industry figures and a bipartisan group of lawmakers on potential legislation.

Teamsters Local 399, which represents about 6,500 motion picture workers in California and New Mexico, also welcomed Trump’s announcement and said it was working with an industry coalition on a federal incentive.

“We applaud this step in the right direction,” the union said.

The push comes as California attempts to reverse a prolonged decline in production. The state increased annual funding for its Film and Television Tax Credit Program from $330 million to $750 million beginning in the 2025-26 fiscal year.

California has faced growing competition from other states and countries offering financial incentives and lower production costs. The industry has also been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 Hollywood strikes and the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Trump’s support for an incentive marks a shift from his approach in 2025, when he floated imposing a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the United States, a proposal that raised questions about how it could be implemented.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, who chairs the council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Film, Entertainment and Creative Industry, said a federal incentive was needed for the U.S. to compete internationally.

“This is not a partisan political issue,” Nazarian said. “It's about doing what's right for the thousands of below-the-line production workers who build the sets, haul equipment, and do a hundred other behind-the-scenes jobs.”

The Motion Picture Association also backed Trump’s proposal, with Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin saying a federal incentive could bring production and jobs to communities across all 50 states.