President Donald Trump’s proposed tariff on foreign-made films would send Canada’s screen industry into “chaos,” local producers say — though several believe the plan is unlikely to ever be implemented.
In a social media post Sunday, Trump said he’s authorized trade officials to impose a “100 per cent tariff” on all films produced outside of the United States.
Many Hollywood projects are shot in Canada. The Canadian Media Producers Association pegs the value of foreign productions last year at $4.73 billion, creating more than 90,000 jobs.
Toronto’s Daniel Bekerman, lead producer of the Canada-shot Trump biopic “The Apprentice,” says the proposed tariff would create chaos for Canada’s film industry.
Still, Bekerman doubts Trump will follow through on the threat.
Meanwhile, the co-president of Canadian distributor Elevation Pictures Noah Segal says he’s both “concerned and dumbfounded” by Trump’s announcement, adding he can’t see any practical way the tariff could be applied.
“It’s getting harder and harder to make films and shows, and make them make sense so that you can release it and make money,” says Segal, adding that the local industry has faced several hurdles lately, from the pandemic to the Hollywood strikes.
“So I would suspect if something like this (tariff) comes along, there’d be a lessening of production and there would be a slowdown, which is never good for anybody.”
It’s still unclear when or how the tax would take effect, but U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick replied to Trump’s post saying, “We’re on it.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2025.
