Northern Ontario film industry weighs in on possible U.S. tariffs

CBC News

· Posted: May 07, 2025 8:04 AM EDT | Last Updated: May 7

People successful the movie manufacture successful bluish Ontario are monitoring statements from the U.S. president with immoderate concern.

U.S. President Donald Trump said helium wants to enforce 100 per cent tariffs connected movies produced extracurricular the country.

Trump, successful a Truth Social station connected Sunday night, said helium directed the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to "immediately statesman the process" of imposing the tariff. So far, helium hasn't signed an enforcement bid connected the topic.

Trump wrote that different countries "are offering each sorts of incentives to gully retired filmmakers and studios distant from the United States."

"Hollywood, and galore different areas wrong the U.S.A, are being divested," helium wrote. 

It's a connection not being good received by Ontario politicians. On Monday, Minister of Economic Development, Vic Fedeli, said the state volition "suit up against yet different assault," successful response.

"This is simply a nonstop battle to our movie assemblage each done Ontario," helium said.

Ontario has invested heavy successful the movie and tv industry, offering taxation credits to assistance with the costs of production. Additional enactment is disposable for productions being done successful bluish Ontario done the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.

'Closely monitoring the situation'

Janine Oloman runs a endowment bureau called 46th Parallel Management successful Sudbury. She represents astir 100 actors who enactment crossed Canada.

Oloman said friction betwixt the countries would beryllium atrocious for the industry.

"The full U.S.-Canada narration is truthful important to the movie manufacture due to the fact that the films and tv shows that are made present usually person originative teams that are composed of some Americans and Canadians," she said.

Several American productions are produced successful bluish Ontario, which is thing Alex Green with White Owl Film Studios successful Wahnapitae First Nation, northbound of Sudbury, said could beryllium impacted.

"So I deliberation things similar Hallmarks and the things that we work from retired of state are perchance going to beryllium affected," helium said.

"But that's each the much crushed to foster our ain intelligence spot and our ain creatives."

When asked for comment, the national that represents movie workers successful bluish Ontario provided CBC with a statement.

"At this time, we are intimately monitoring the concern pursuing President Trump's announcement, but we bash not yet person capable accusation to supply a elaborate remark connected however this volition interaction bluish Ontario specifically," said Tiffany Boivin-Brawley, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 634 president.

"The union's authoritative connection calls for a balanced national effect that strengthens U.S. competitiveness without harming Canadian members oregon the manufacture overall."

She was referring to an earlier connection made by her union, that said President Trump "correctly recognized" the "foreign" threats to the American movie industry, but made wide it was looking for solutions that didn't pb to the "disadvantaging of our Canadian members."