Alberta film industry braces for potential fallout from Trump's proposed 100 per cent tariff on foreign-made movies
Alberta's film and television industry is watching closely and warily as U.S. President Donald Trump proposes a 100 per cent tariff on foreign-made movies, which could have sweeping implications for cross-border collaboration and the global screen economy.
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While details remain unclear, the announcement, delivered via Truth Social and echoed at a press conference this week, has prompted concern among Alberta producers and film advocates, who say the nature of the industry relies heavily on international partnerships, especially with the United States.
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Justine Gamez Huckabay, member-at-large for the Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA), said the situation is still 'undecided.'
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'Even just moments ago, I was watching a press conference where President Trump addressed the media and reporters about what this implementation could look like,' said Huckabay, noting it's all 'concept' at the moment. 'It's very much undecided.'
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In response to this Sunday's 'initial shock,' AMPIA is currently in direct discussions with the Alberta government, including the Alberta Film Commission, regarding potential impacts on Alberta producers.
The AMPIA is also collaborating with its national counterpart, the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), to 'work with senior consultants and trade lawyers connected to both Prime Minister Carney's office and Canada's trade negotiation team, with the immediate goal to ensure Prime Minister Carney was fully briefed on the potential consequences for Canada's screen industry ahead of this meeting with President Trump.'
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While Trump emphasized that he doesn't 'want to hurt the film industry,' Huckabay warned that the proposed measure could be 'extremely devastating' for both the global film market and U.S.-Canada film relations.
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'This is a new phase in the trade dispute, because this is a service, not a physical good. So how do you tariff a movie?' she said. 'So this would be really the first shift that we're seeing from the U.S. administration into the trade dispute, attacking or targeting services. And obviously, there's more questions than answers at this stage.'
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'Whether it's films or TV series, if it's distributed on Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, that is technically under CUSMA, and it is protected,' she said.
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The Alberta screen industry has benefited from its share of American productions. HBO's 'The Last of Us' was filmed partly in Edmonton, and local horror writer and director Kyle Edward Ball, whose 2022 debut 'Skinamarink' garnered global attention, is preparing to shoot his A24-backed follow-up, 'The Land of Nod,' in Alberta.
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