In a post shared on his Truth Social platform, US President Trump said a 100% tariff would apply to all movies “produced in Foreign Lands”, and that the US film industry was dying a “very fast death” due to the incentives that other countries were offering to draw American filmmakers.
It was not immediately clear how and when such tariffs would be implemented, and whether the move would target production companies, foreign or American, producing films overseas.
PGGB Acting CEO Michael Beavan is representing the guild on an industry wide policy group, which includes key representatives from the major UK screen agencies and bodies as well as broadcasters, studios and streamers, to formulate a response to the proposed tariffs.
Beavan said: “PGGB stands shoulder to shoulder with our UK film partners to make sure that we protect both our world class film industry and freelance workforce at this time of uncertainty around US tariffs.
We have a long and mutually beneficial relationship with our US filmmaker colleagues and friends, which will always be celebrated for its creativity and collaboration, regardless of geographical or political boundaries. We see no reason for this unquestionably successful partnership to be disrupted now or in the future.”
On behalf of the industry group, Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of the British Film Commission said: "While this announcement is clearly concerning, we need to understand the detail surrounding the proposed tariffs. We will be meeting with Government and our industry policy group in the coming days to discuss further.
The UK and US have long enjoyed a strong, shared history of filmmaking, recently celebrating 100 years of creative collaboration and production. We look forward to continuing that for years to come, to our mutual benefit.”
Bianca Gavin, PGGB Chair and Head of Production for Film & Scripted TV at Pulse Films, said: “At PGGB, we are primarily focussed on supporting our members, whose exceptional skills and creativity are central to the success of globally financed film and television productions.
In light of the recent announcements regarding potential tariffs on films made outside the US, we are deeply concerned about the implications for international collaboration, whilst also measured in our response before any formal moves are made. Our workforce and facilities play a vital role in films with global reach, and we shall continue to champion them, alongside those agencies with shared goals.”
