Local film studios, Canada prepares for impact of Trump’s foreign-made film tariff

President Donald Trump’s comments on the media production industry in Canada has some local studios worried on the impacts of a 100 per cent tariff.

Trump said he is adding another tariff threat to this list, this time being a tax on movies produced outside of the U.S.

These threats are being called an “assault” on Canada’s media production industry, with many worrying about the devastation a proposed 100 per cent tariff could bring.

“Our film industry has been decimated by other countries,” said Trump.

Doubling down after a Truth Social post Sunday night, Trump says the U.S. film industry has moved away from Hollywood, and gone to countries around the world that offer production incentives.

“They are given financing by other countries, they are given a lot of things and the industry was decimated,” said Trump.

In his post, Trump writes that he has authorized officials to ‘immediately begin the process of instituting a 100 per cent tariff on any and all movies coming into our country that are produced in foreign lands.”

“This is a direct assault,” said Vic Fedeli, the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

At an unrelated media conference Monday, CHCH News asked Fedeli about Trump’s proposed tariffs on the industry.

“So we will suit up, just like we have for every other particular mention of a tariff,” said Fedeli.

In Hamilton, the city says 139 productions were filmed here last year, bringing in nearly $60 million to the local economy.

So far this year, The City of Hamilton has already issued 149 filming permits.

“It would be detrimental, there’s no doubt about it,” said Zach Zohr, owner of Hamilton Film Studios.

Zohr says right now business in Hamilton is good, as his company rents out gear to production crews.

“I’m renting out the most gear I have all year – right now I’m supplying four or five movies,” said Zohr.

But Zohr says so much is still up in the air, because imposing an 100 per cent tariff on foreign-produced movies would be very difficult.

“I don’t even know what a 100 per cent tariff on a movie would even look like, when some movies are made in pieces around the world,” said Zohr.

Ontario’s Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy says the Ford government has already announced supports for businesses impacted by any U.S. tariffs in the province.

“We have an incredible footprint in the film and TV industry, but that is why we did things like the $11 billion – that is not targeting one specific industry,” said Bethlenfalvy. “That is for any company that pays provincial taxes that they can defer up to $9 billion of tax and $2 billion for WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board).”

In the meantime, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists are calling on the federal government to protect this industry from Trump’s tariffs.

They say the sector contributed over $11 billion to the national GDP in 2023-24.

WATCH MORE: Hamilton film, television studios flourish as productions in filming industry suffer