Business reporter
Getty picturesUS President Donald Trump says he will make films that are made abroad with 100% tariffs. While he increases trade disputes with nations all over the world.
Trump said that he had authorized the US Ministry of Trade and the sales representative to start the process to collect the levy because the American film industry died “a very quick death”.
He accused a “concerted effort” of other countries that offer incentives for the bond of filmmakers and studios, which he described as “national security threat”.
His comments could mean a “knock-out beat” for the industry, warned one Union, where filmmakers Hollywood have been leaving for destinations such as Great Britain and Canada in search of lower costs for years.
Trump said his truth on his social platform: “It is in addition to all other news and propaganda!”
“We want to be films that are made in America again!”
The US Minister of Trade Howard Lutnick replied to the announcement and said: “We are there”.
However, the details of the move are unclear. Trump’s explanation did not say whether the tariff for American production companies would apply to produce films abroad.
Several important films recently produced by US studios were made outside of America, including Deadpool & Wolverine, Wicked and Gladiator II.
It was also unclear whether the tariffs for films for streaming services such as Netflix and those shown in the cinemas or how they would be calculated would apply.
The founder of the European cinema chain Vue, Timothy Richards, asked how Trump would define a US film.
In conversation with BBC Radio 4’s Today Program, he said: “Is it where the money comes from? The script, the director, the talent where it was turned?”
ReutersMr. Richards said that the shooting costs in Southern California had grown significantly in recent decades and prompted the filmmakers to move production to locations such as Great Britain, which have increasingly offered tax incentives and lower costs.
“But it’s not just the actual financing itself,” he added.
“One of the reasons why Great Britain did so well is that we have some of the most experienced and qualified film and production crews in the world.
“The devil will be in the details.”
In the meantime, the British Media Union Bectu warned that the tariffs in the industry and its tens of thousands of freelancers could give “a knock-out strike” because it recovered from pandemic and a “recent cooling”.
The head of the union, Philippa Childs, told the BBC: “The government has to move quickly to defend this vital sector and support the freelancers who constitute it, out of essential national economic interest.”
The British Department of Culture, Media and Sport, Industrial Remium The British Film Institute and the Motion Picture Association, which represents the five major US film studios, did not immediately respond to BBC requests for comments.
According to the Prodpro research company, the United States is still a large film production hub worldwide.
The latest annual report shows that the country set $ 14.54 billion (10.94 billion GBP) for production expenditure last year. Although this has dropped by 26% since 2022.
Eric Deggans, the critic of the NPR radio film, warned that if they were introduced, the tariffs could further damage the industry.
Other countries can react by placing tariffs for American films, he told the BBC, making it more difficult to make these films more difficult to make profits overseas “.
“It can lead to a situation in which the tariffs in America cause more damage than benefits,” he added.
According to Prodpro, countries that have increased an increase in expenses since 2022 since 2022.
According to Trump’s statements, the Australian minister for interior matters, Tony Burke, said: “Nobody should have doubts that we will clearly use the rights of the Australian screen industry.”
Australia from Industry Body Screen Producers Australia said that there were “many unknown people” on the plan, but “there are undoubtedly sending shock waves worldwide”.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also said that his government was waiting for further details of the proposed tariffs.
“But we will obviously be a great lawyer, a great advocate of this sector and this industry,” he said at a press conference.
Before his inauguration, Trump appointed three film stars – Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone.
At this time Trump wrote: “They will serve me as a special representative to bring Hollywood, which has lost a lot of business abroad in the past four years – larger, better and stronger than ever!”
Since his return to the White House in January, Trump has imposed tariffs on countries around the world.
He argues that tariffs that have been bought from other countries are taxes that promote US manufacturers and protect jobs.
As a result, the global economy was thrown into chaos, and the prices for goods around the world are expected.
Even before this latest announcement, the US film industry was influenced by the consequences of Trump’s trade policy.
In April China said that it reduced its quota of the American films that are allowed in the country.
“The wrong action of the US government to abuse the tariffs in China will inevitably reduce the domestic public’s demanding public,” said Chinese film management.
“We will follow the market rules, respect the election of the audience and moderate the number of imported American films.”
Follow the rotations and twists of Trump’s second term with the North America correspondent Anthony Zurchers weekly US policy unpun Newsletter. Readers in the UK Register here. Those outside of Great Britain Register here.
