Montreal movie producers warn Trump's foreign film tariff could devastate industry

CBC News

· Posted: May 06, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that helium is imposing 100 per cent tariffs connected each films produced extracurricular the United States, a determination that could person large consequences for Canada's movie industry, particularly successful cities similar Montreal.

Trump says helium has instructed national agencies to statesman collecting the tariffs instantly but gave nary details connected however it would work.

"We're waiting to spot — nary 1 knows the rules. To me, it feels wholly improvised," said Roger Frappier, a Montreal-based producer, manager and president of Max Films.

Simon Peacock of ACTRA Montreal called the determination devastating and "a small terrifying."

Peacock, who represents actors and different on-screen talent, said the interaction would beryllium significant.

"It'll beryllium a immense stroke for the industry," helium said. "It's 180,000 jobs and $11 cardinal for the GDP of Canada. So the interaction is enormous."

In a societal media post, Trump accused different countries of hurting the U.S. movie manufacture by luring productions distant with incentives, even calling it a menace to nationalist security.

Quebec a large subordinate successful movie industry

Quebec is simply a large subordinate in the sector, with overseas movie and TV accumulation generating astir $1 cardinal a twelvemonth successful economical activity, according to the Quebec Film and Television Council.

Without American shoots, the assembly says section productions could suffer.

"We would not beryllium capable to support the aforesaid prime of infrastructure oregon instrumentality astatine the cutting borderline of exertion oregon adjacent the breadth and prime of the crews," said Stéphane Cardin of the council.

The council's mandate is to enactment Quebec's maturation and competitiveness arsenic a world-class accumulation hub.

"Until now, Trump's tariffs person targeted carnal goods, but this is simply a work industry," Cardin said Monday connected Radio-Canada's Midi info.

It's unclear whether tariffs would use to the afloat outgo of a film, container bureau summons income oregon streaming subscriptions. Major U.S. studios and the Motion Picture Association person yet to comment.

Quebec Minister of Culture Mathieu Lacombe posted connected X: "It's concerning, but we don't person each the details yet."

U.S. productions make millions successful Canada

The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) contains a taste exemption clause. Whether these tariffs would withstand ineligible challenges remains to beryllium seen.

According to a study by Telefilm Canada, astir 75 per cent of productions changeable successful Canada successful 2023 were American. In Quebec, the home manufacture is comparatively stronger, but U.S. productions inactive make millions successful revenue.

Several factors explicate Canada's entreaty to overseas studios, including charismatic taxation credits. In British Columbia, basal taxation credits screen 35 per cent of eligible labour costs. In Ontario, they're 21.5 per cent of eligible accumulation expenses.

WATCH | How could this tariff impact Quebec? 

In Quebec, the all-in taxation recognition is 25 per cent. The debased Canadian dollar provides different vantage for U.S. producers, says Michel Trudel, laminitis and erstwhile proprietor of MELS Studios successful Montreal. He present runs a rigging institution serving movie and unrecorded events.

"Plus, with its architecture, Quebec tin basal successful for France, London — you tin sprout thing here," said Trudel. "Actors emotion filming successful Montreal. They aren't followed by paparazzi and they tin spell retired to restaurants undisturbed."

Trudel said 3 American productions are slated to movie successful Montreal this year, including The Housewife starring Naomi Watts and Ty Sheridan. That's down from 7 past year, though the slower commencement is partially owed to wildfires that swept done Los Angeles past fall.

Bernard Larivière is besides disquieted astir the announcement's interaction connected the astir 8,000 representation and dependable technicians represented by his Quebec union, AQTIS 514 IATSE.

He said up to one-third of those workers are progressive successful U.S. projects. For some, those productions marque up 100 per cent of their income.

"Our technicians are freelancers," Larivière said. "Their jobs aren't guaranteed. After the writers' onslaught and the pandemic, we were hoping for immoderate stability. Now we person this Trump announcement. Our members are precise worried."

He said it's unclear what measurement to instrumentality next. Beyond filming, different parts of the manufacture could beryllium affected. Like cars, movies are made up of aggregate components produced successful antithetic places.

"Quebec is simply a planetary person successful ocular effects and animation," said Cardin.

He said it remains to beryllium seen whether the tariffs would use lone to carnal shoots oregon besides to services similar post-production. 

Faced with uncertainty, immoderate successful the manufacture are holding disconnected connected responding. Grandé Studios successful Montreal, for instance, said it was excessively aboriginal to remark without much context.

Others, similar Frappier, are already raising the anticipation of retaliatory tariffs.

"Will Europe and Canada say, '80 per cent of the movies connected our screens are American, let's slap tariffs connected them?' Trump conscionable opened a door," helium said.