Donald Trump is ramping up his war on trade, with today’s announcement set to impact the Gold Coast’s film industry.
The US President has revealed he will impose a “100% tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the US”.
Trump announced the move in a post on his Truth Social platform, claiming the US is losing out to international competition.
“Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing candy from a baby,” he wrote.
Trump first floated the idea back in May, indicating he would be targeting countries offering what he described as “unfair incentives” to lure American filmmakers abroad.
Screen Producers Australia released a statement at the time, calling for immediate Government intervention.
“At this stage, it is unclear what this announcement means in practice or how it will be applied and implemented”, SPA CEO Matthew Deaner said.
“There are many unknowns for our industry, but until we know more, there’s no doubt it will send shockwaves worldwide.
“For the Australian industry, it reinforces the need for the Government to focus immediately and swiftly on building a resilient local industry that can withstand global shocks like this.
“SPA will continue to monitor developments and await the Executive Order, which should provide further information on this”.
