‘Don’t panic’: B.C. premier addresses U.S. tariff threat on movies

Donald Trump is ordering new hefty levies on all films made outside of the United States.

Premier David Eby says his government will “stand strong” for British Columbia’s booming film sector amid fresh tariff threats from the United States.

On Sunday night, U.S. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to announce his latest tariff target.

“The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States,” wrote Trump.

He says that Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S., are being devastated.

“This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!” posted Trump.

He says he is authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100 per cent tariff on any and all movies coming into the U.S. that are produced in “Foreign Lands.”

It’s common for many films to include production both in the U.S. and other countries, including ones with more favourable tax incentives like Canada and the U.K.

The U.S. President did not elaborate how or when that plan would be executed.

“WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” he wrote.

According to Creative BC, the film industry generated $2.7 billion in 2022, roughly one per cent of the province’s GDP. It generated $2 billion in 2023, a year impacted by strike action and a decrease in global production.

About 37,000 jobs in the province were supported by the motion-picture industry in 2022, compared to 26,000 in 2023.

“To the folks in the film industry, don’t panic. The president tweets a lot of stuff. The implementation challenges of this are profound and hard to understand exactly how this would work,” said Eby during a press conference Monday morning.

He says he’s proud of the work B.C.’s sector produces.

“Our international recognition for exceptional quality, for delivering time and time again, it’s fantastic, and that’s why we stepped up to support the industry with additional supports. It’s an industry that touches every corner of our province and also drives tourism,” said Eby.

The government’s 2025 budget included an increased tax credit for projects made in B.C., and on Monday the premier vowed incentives for international production would remain in place.

The premier says the film industry is strong in B.C., noting that both “The Last of Us” and “Shogun” have signed on to film another season in the province.

Trump has not said whether television series, an increasingly popular and profitable sector of production, would be impacted.

“The president’s proposal is incredibly hard to understand and try to imagine, as an American, an option for two versions of Netflix, one where you get just a handful of productions, the other where you pay $50 a month or $100 a month, that you get to see what everyone else in the world gets to see,” said Eby.

Green Party leader and B.C. MP Elizabeth May called Trump’s plan “bonkers.”

“How do you apply retaliatory tariffs on films? On the ticket price that movie-goers are going to pay? It looks like it’s something completely out of left field that Trump has invented for himself,” May told CTV Morning Live.

The City of Vancouver is among the most popular destinations in the world for film productions.

“Vancouver is proud to play a significant role in the global film industry. Our city and country are home to some of the world’s most talented visual effects artists, production teams, and creative professionals,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim in a statement Monday morning.

Sim calls Trump’s proposed levies unwarranted and unjustified.

“Despite President Trump’s statement, Vancouver’s film industry isn’t going anywhere. We will continue to support world-class productions, champion innovation in visual effects, and provide an exceptional home for creative professionals from around the globe,” wrote Sim.