Equity calls for measured response to US film tariffs

Film and entertainment union Equity has said the UK’s film and TV production industry should react calmly to US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 100% tariffs on films produced outside the US.

President Trump made the announcement last Sunday (4 May) following a recent slowdown in Hollywood film production.

A statement from Equity says that cutting production in the UK will not achieve the President’s aim of increasing jobs in the US and called for a response that focuses on bolstering UK film and TV production.

“America’s objective is to generate more productions and more jobs in film. Is that going to be achieved by stopping filming Barbie, which was filmed here on British union agreements, or Wicked or Mission Impossible? Clearly not,” commented Equity’s general secretary Paul W Fleming.

“The industry tends to feed itself, so an upturn in American production is a good thing for the UK.”

Fleming added that a lot of the panic caused by Trump’s announcement is “due to the fragility in the system”.

He suggested this fragility can be addressed positively through properly funding the UK’s public service broadcasters.