07-05-2025
Trump's movie tariffs will ‘haemorrhage Ireland's film industry'
Thousands of jobs in the Irish film sector could be in danger if US President Donald Trump goes ahead with a controversial 'movie tariff ', industry insiders have warned.
Mr Trump announced on Sunday night that the US Department of Commerce would impose a 100% tariff 'on any and all movies coming into our country that are produced in foreign lands'.
Hollywood figures have reacted with confusion to the bombshell, as most of the details of the plan's logistics haven't yet been revealed. Pic: Getty Images
Here in Ireland, concern is growing over potential impacts on a native industry which has received great international recognition in recent years.
Screenwriter Mark Michael McNally, who co-wrote the 2023 Liam Neeson action film In The Land Of Saints And Sinners, told he believed Mr Trump's tariffs would 'haemorrhage the Irish film industry'.
Mr McNally said the tariffs were a major worry, but that it wasn't clear how they could be implemented, and he was hopeful the measure would be abandoned.
'It's sort of a backwards way of thinking because it's very unclear how this would be done,' he said. 'Taxing a piece of media is very different than imported fruit or some other physical good. We've seen how his previous tariff threats in the past few months overwhelmingly harm people on the lower ground.
'The common worker on a film – the grip, the costume designers, local actors in Ireland – all these different departments rely on international production for a greater sense of stability because the local industry isn't enough to make a living as a crew member, for most people. It will haemorrhage the industry.' Pic: Andrew Downes/Xposure
Midlands-North-West MEP Maria Walsh – a member of the EU's delegation to the United States – raised the issue of film tariffs in the European Parliament in Strasbourg yesterday.
'Trump's latest threat could pull the plug on Ireland's global status as a production powerhouse,' she said.
'A tariff on films would prove a logistical nightmare and is possibly unworkable. The nationality of production of any one movie is far from clear, given the intertwined web of global investors, labour and revenue.'
Despite the questionable feasibility of the tariff, the Fine Gael MEP warned it could 'make it financially impossible for many companies to continue producing here'.
British-Irish film producer and Oscar-winner David Puttnam – who produced Midnight Express and War Of The Buttons – told RTÉ's Today With Claire Byrne show that Mr Trump has caused 'far more chaos than he'll solve'. Pic: Getty Images
'He'll bring a few jobs back to the United States, but I promise you, every American involved in making and distributing movies today is very, very worried,' he said.
'They're not sitting there thinking, 'Oh great, this is a bonanza for America'.'
Screen Ireland estimates the film, TV and animation sectors together employ around 12,000 people in Ireland and contribute almost € 700 million to the economy.
As well as lush landscapes, Ireland also has generous tax credits enticing international film productions to shoot here.
Mr McNally added: 'When economic factors are unknown, there's less investment, so this is an immediate worry.
'Trump tends to make big statements or gestures and then quietly roll them back. Hopefully that's the case here.'
As well as the many Irish workers who could be out of work if the tariffs go ahead and there is a fall in the number of films being shot here as a result, the quality of films around the world will also suffer, Mr McNally said.
'People have complained that the quality of film has gone down in recent decades or that 'they don't make them like they used to',' he said.
'I think that's rubbish, but it's important to note that a lot of the smaller-budget Hollywood films like Anora and The Brutalist that sweep up in award season will be harder to make if these tariffs go ahead.'
