Australia to urge Trump to reconsider 100 per cent movie tariffs
Australia will urge the Trump administration to reconsider its 100 per cent tariff on all movies produced outside the United States, warning it could hurt the production of the next The Fall Guy or Elvis.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong used a media blitz on Tuesday morning to argue the case for American movies produced in Australia, which included the Ryan Gosling-led remake of the 1980s television series about a stuntman and Austin Butler's biopic of The King.
US President Donald Trump announced the tariff on Sunday on his social media platform Truth Social, claiming Hollywood was dying 'a very fast death' because other countries were producing US films.
The latest tariff will be Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's first test on negotiating with the American administration in his new term, which could happen in person at the G7 summit in Canada in June.
Wong argued the case on Tuesday that movies produced in Australia benefited the nation but the US industry.
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'We all know how many films we see, made in Australia, made between Australia and American filmmakers. We know how many Australian actors are beloved by American audiences. We obviously will be pressing our view about this to the US administration,' she told Seven's Sunrise.
'I do welcome the fact that the president has indicated he's going to engage with the studios about it. We want to be able to see films where you get both Aussie actors and American studios working together.'
Wong pointed to movies such as The Fall Guy and Elvis being produced in Australia, which she said American audiences enjoyed.
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