The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) says that it is ready to work with the Trump administration on a solution to dwindling U.S. film and television production, but not at the expense of other global territories.
In response to Trump’s announcement that he planned to impose a 100% tariff on films made outside the U.S., IATSE President Matthew D. Loeb called Monday for “a balanced federal response to return film and television jobs.”
The union represents over 168,000 workers in the entertainment industry across the U.S. and Canada. In his statement, Loeb made it clear that any potential solution to the U.S. production exodus should not cause harm the country’s neighbor to the north, as these tariffs almost certainly would.
“IATSE recommended that the Trump administration implement a federal film production tax incentive and other domestic tax provisions to level the playing field for American workers,” Loeb’s statement continued. “We await further information on the administration’s proposed tariff plan, but we continue to stand firm in our conviction that any eventual trade policy must do no harm to our Canadian members — nor the industry overall. We seek reciprocal trade practices that ensure fair competition for all IATSE members.”
In addition to Loeb’s position, the union issued a more general statement on Monday that assured IATSE “engaging with the Trump administration and Congress to advocate for policies” that will “level the playing field and make the U.S. film and television industry more competitive on the global stage.”
Loeb is the second labor leader associated with Hollywood to weigh in on Trump’s tariff announcement after SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said Monday morning that the actors’ union was open to “advancing a dialogue” with the President about domestic production.
Crabtree-Ireland’s statement did not ultimately indicate if SAG-AFTRA would support imposing tariffs, stating only that the union will “continue to advocate for policies that strengthen our competitive position, accelerate economic growth and create good middle class jobs for American workers.”
Trump’s announcement on Sunday evening rattled the industry, as studios have come to depend on shooting pricey tentpoles in other countries including Canada, Australia and the UK. However, the White House was quick to walk back the bold assertion by Monday morning, claiming that “no final decisions” have been made on whether to impose foreign film tariffs.
The president told reporters Monday that he was planning to set meetings with entertainment industry representatives to discuss the matter, assuring: “I’m not looking to hurt the industry. I want to help the industry.”
That appears to be news even to the C-Suites in Hollywood. Sources at the major studios and streamers tell Deadline that no heads of industry have scheduled time with Trump thus far.
Trump’s announcement comes as reports began circulating around Tinseltown that Jon Voight, one of the president’s appointed “special ambassadors” to Hollywood, had been taking meetings around town with the intention of devising a plan to present to the president with a plan for boosting domestic production. Deadline reported Monday that Voight presented a plan to Trump over the weekend that includes federal tax incentives, changes to tax codes, the establishment of co-production treaties with foreign countries, and infrastructure subsidies for theater owners, film and television production companies, and post-production companies. The plan also includes points on job training, and “tariffs in certain limited circumstances.”
Currently, California lawmakers are weighing proposed changes to the state’s own Film & TV Tax Credit Program to up the cap from $330M annually to $750M and expand eligibility to include a broader range of projects, among other things. While Gov. Gavin Newsom has made the production exodus issue a top priority, he was also one of the first to openly oppose Trump’s tariff proposal.
Newsom’s team tells Deadline that Trump “has no authority to impose tariffs” on the film and television industry, setting the stage for a bit of a showdown over how to truly save Hollywood.
Details on Trump’s tariff proposal are murky, and there are many questions left unanswered, including what Trump means by a 100% tariff on movies produced in other nations and whether it will include television. What does seem clear is that, if Trump moves forward with the proposal, it’s likely to be challenged in court.
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