Donald Trump has said he will impose 100% tariffs on films made outside the United States.
The US president said he was authorising the Department of Commerce and Trade Representative to start the process to impose the levy because America's film industry was dying "a very fast death" due to the incentives that other countries were offering to lure filmmakers.
"This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda," Trump said on Truth Social.
“We want movies made in America, again!,” added Trump.
US films have shot in countries such as the UK, Canada and Hungary for years due to lower costs, tax incentives and experienced international crews.
Major US studio films to shoot outside America include Deadpool & Wolverine, Wicked, Gladiator II and Barbie.
Details of how the tariffs would be enacted are unclear. It is not yet known if they would apply to movies on streaming services as well as those shown in cinemas, or if they would be calculated based on production costs or box office revenue. There was no word if the tariffs would also apply to US television shows shot outside America.
The British Film Institute said it was working closely with the government and industry partners in the UK and the US "while we understand the detail of the proposal".
"We want to keep collaboration at the heart of our sectors, so we remain a constructive partner to our friends in the US and internationally," it said.
Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of the British Film Commission, said: “While this announcement is clearly concerning, we need to understand the detail surrounding the proposed tariffs. We will be meeting with Government and our industry policy group in the coming days to discuss further. The UK and US have long enjoyed a strong, shared history of film-making, recently celebrating 100 years of creative collaboration and production. We look forward to continuing that for years to come, to our mutual benefit.”
Philippa Childs, Head of the Bectu union, said: “These tariffs, coming after Covid and the recent slowdown, could deal a knock-out blow to an industry that is only just recovering and will be really worrying news for tens of thousands of skilled freelancers who make films in the UK.
“The government must move swiftly to defend this vital sector, and support the freelancers who power it, as a matter of essential national economic interest.”
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