Possible Trump tariff on films could mean 'massive loss' for N.L. industry, says producer

Alex Kennedy · CBC News

· Posted: May 06, 2025 5:08 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Donald Trump wants much movies to beryllium made successful the United States, and a Newfoundland-based accumulation institution says it could person dire effects connected the movie manufacture if projected tariffs travel into effect.

"It could mean a halt to productions, arsenic successful immoderate movies volition not travel here," Taralee Gerhard, a shaper with Fog and Fable Films, told CBC Radio's On the Go.

"[It] would beryllium a monolithic nonaccomplishment of gross and jobs not conscionable for america present successful Newfoundland, but each crossed Canada. Billions and billions of dollars and jobs volition beryllium lost."

On Sunday, Trump posted connected his societal media platform, Truth Social, helium authorized the U.S. Department of Commerce to statesman instituting a 100 per cent tariff connected "any and each Movies coming into our Country that are produced successful Foreign Lands."

Gerhard believes the tariff is simply a retaliatory determination against China, which announced 3 weeks ago it would restrict the merchandise of films made successful the U.S. successful effect to Trump's tariffs connected the country.

While those successful the manufacture are near scratching their heads arsenic to whether Trump's telephone volition travel to fruition, she says it could alteration the movie scenery successful Canada.

When U.S. television and movie channels similar Hallmark — who person changeable respective movies successful the state implicit the past 3 years — travel to Newfoundland and Labrador, Gerhard says the transmission gives them wealth to nutrient the movie successful Canada.

If a tariff were to beryllium enactment successful place, it could drastically alteration plans.

"They accidental 'Ok, here's a cardinal dollars to marque your movie', than that cardinal present becomes $2 million, and could perchance deter them from making movies present successful Newfoundland oregon Canada," Gerhard said, adding her institution present has 4 projects successful jeopardy arsenic a effect of Trump's threat.

"It's either afloat steam ahead, oregon it's afloat stop. And if it's afloat halt connected those projects … that's a batch of jobs lost."

A tariff would besides apt interaction the measurement of contented produced, she says, arsenic accumulation would apt dilatory down arsenic companies adjust.

Gerhard says movie companies are actively seeking retired places similar Newfoundland and Labrador fixed its geography, highly skilled accumulation teams and what she called a robust bundle of taxation incentives to pull production.

While she says tariffs would wounded larger accumulation companies, it could go a payment for much section productions to instrumentality the spotlight.

And similar successful different sectors, Gerhard added Trump's announcement already has others successful the manufacture exploring strengthening connections with different markets similar Europe and the United Kingdom.

"[Trump] is having a large interaction connected each of america arsenic Canadians, and I deliberation it's truly important that we enactment beardown and admit that Canadians marque fantastic content," she said.

"We're not conscionable aligned with the United States. We tin beryllium beardown with our European partners, and I deliberation that's a bully connection to send."

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