Irene Gardiner: Screen Production and Development Association President on Trump's threat to impose 100 percent tariff on movies produced outside US

There's a feeling Donald Trump's threat to impose a 100 percent tariff on any and all movies made outside the United States is unworkable.

The US president didn't specify when or how it could be enacted in his post on social media - which followed an initial threat on foreign-produced movies in May.

Screen Production and Development Association President Irene Gardiner says there's confusion about what he means.

"It seems to be that the problem he's trying to solve is American productions not shooting in America. So the way to fix that is their own incentives."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So the future of New Zealand's film sector is facing
uncertainty all over again because Donald Trump has today doubled
down on his promise to add a one hundred percent
tariff on any US movies filmed overseas. Now this means
blockbusters like Megan, a Minecraft movie, the Avatar movies would
all be subject to a very hefty price tag. Irene
Gardner as the president of the Screen Producers New Zealand

(00:21):
and with us Hey, Iren, Hi there, Given that Donald
Trump has mentioned this again, does it look to you
like he means It?

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Really hard to say, But the trouble is, because he's
now mentioned it twice, it creates a lot of uncertainty
and panic, and that in itself can have a negative
impact on levels of production globally. And here I was
surprised it came up again because when he first mentioned
it in May, like his own screen industry, the American

(00:53):
screen industry said no, no, no, no, this will not work.
This will be to our detriment, let alone you know,
other people in the world world. So yeah, I'm a
bit surprised that he's mentioned it again. But I just
it's so unworkable. I just really can't see how you
would even do this what he's talking about, you mean logistically, well, yeah,

(01:16):
I mean tariffs are usually on goods. This is kind
of more about services, and there's sort of a total
confusion about you know, it seems to be the problem
he's trying to solve is American productions not shooting in America.
So the way to fix that is their own incentives,
not you know, trying to stop them go somewhere else.

(01:40):
And you know, is that what he means, because if
that is what he means, that's one thing. But the
way he actually said it was as if he meant,
you know, productions from another country, as in, you know,
something that we made here in New Zealand for example,
you know the film ten R. So does he mean
that or does he mean Minecraft being shot here an
American production being shot in news? I think he means that,

(02:01):
but it's really unlear what he means. And you know
how it would even manifest As.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
You just mentioned before, he first made mention of this
in May. Have we seen anything since May to indicate
how the American industry will respond to this.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
The American industry has been really negative about it, and
you know, really campaigning for it not to happen because
it doesn't help them because they you know, they want
to shoot wherever it is best for their production to shoot,
or their co production. And you know that's the other thing.
How do you define an American production. We're in the
age of the global co production, so I mean they'll
be as shocked as we are that it's you know

(02:40):
that he's mentioned it again. So yeah, I'm really not
quite sure. And it's very difficult here because it's a
tough time for the screen industry generally, you know, both
globally and here in New Zealand, both our international sector
and our local and of course, you know, this just
makes people panic and feel uncertain because you know, if

(03:01):
you could take this to its worst conclusion, it would
be you know, really devastating for our screen industry here.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
Yeah, I suppose that's a fair point and it would
be Irene, thank you very much, appreciate it. Irene Gardner,
President of the Screen Producers New Zealand. Keep an eye
on that see how it goes. For more from Heather
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