‘Cataclysmic’: Trump tariffs could destroy Australian film
US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 100% tariff on movies “produced in foreign lands” could completely upend Australian film, according to the local industry. Industry figures said the tariff would be devastating for local movies seeking a US audience as well as putting hundreds of millions of Hollywood production dollars are at risk.
Trump made the announcement on Monday on his Truth Social platform, saying he was authorising the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to “immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% tariff on any and all movies coming into our country that are produced in foreign lands.”
Overseas productions were responsible for injecting $768 million into the Australian economy during the 2023-24 financial year, according to figures from Screen Australia. This amount fell from over $1 billion in the prior financial year, as writers’ strikes and cost issues drove down overall production during the last financial year.
