ALEX BRUMMER: Trumpian tariff on movies is an arrow pointed at Britain
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Donald Trump's gold-spattered tour of Gulf palaces is a reminder of how the Middle East has changed since Peter O'Toole starred in the Oscar-winning film Lawrence Of Arabia way back in 1962.
Filmed in Jordan, Morocco and Britain, it is a symbol of the long tradition of film making, editing and post-production in this country.
JK Rowling's Harry Potter books, film series, Broadway musicals and theme parks, across the globe, provide evidence of how deep-seated the creative industries are here. The migration of film and video-making from Hollywood to the UK is not simply a result of tax breaks and cheaper labour, as Donald Trump's White House wants the world to think.
The Trumpian threat of a 100 per cent tariff on overseas-made movies is an arrow pointed directly at Britain's prowess in bringing great film and video to the silver screen and streaming platforms. UK sport such as F1 and Premier League football are among our most gloriously successful exports.
Britain is the home of Shakespearian-quality acting, the imaginative programming of ITV Studios and the vast film stages and brilliant technology on which the Star Wars series, Bond films and more recent box office winners such as Barbie were produced.
A developed ecosystem, which includes world-class edit studios dotted around Soho, means the UK has become a production powerhouse which is luring Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+ and other streamers to these shores.
In the line of fire: Britain is home to the vast film stages on which the Bond movies have been produced
Spending on film and high-end TV productions, such as The Crown, reached £5.6billion in 2024. Many have been blockbusters in US box-offices, on cable and streaming platforms. The income generated rivals the £8.4billion of luxury car exports to the US.
Ensuring the growth and prosperity of the nation's creative sector, which includes the booming gaming industry, is vital to the national interest. Some of the biggest inward investments in the UK, such as Comcast's £3billion spend on new stages in Elstree, head here because of the talent pool.
Yet when Keir Starmer and Donald Trump announced their historic trade deal earlier this month, film, part of Britain's energetic services sector, which enjoys a vast surplus with the US, didn't get a mention.
Trump's proposed 100 per cent tariff on UK and foreign films, a potential existential threat, was missing from the debate. Some of the biggest inward investments in the UK head in this direction because of the talent pool. Sky owner Comcast also is the investor behind the Universal theme park and resort being built near Bedford.
Not all the US media sector is backing the Trumpian effort to restore the primacy of Hollywood.
The sheer financial power of American streaming machines, such as Netflix, makes life increasingly difficult for UK creative powerhouses.
ITV Studios makes great programmes but lacks the scale and heft of its American competitors. Hence its search for a partner.
Administering tariffs on movies, which can be as diversified in their sources of supply as motor cars, would be a nightmare. Trump's movie adviser, veteran Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight, thinks tax breaks for Hollywood rather than a blunt levy on foreigners is the answer.
If that argument can be won, then the glitterati gathered in Cannes – not to mention the home counties – mightily will be relieved.
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