U.S. President Donald Trump has unveiled sweeping tariff measures that will directly impact Canada’s cultural and economic sectors, pledging a 100% tariff on all foreign-made films and threatening new taxes on imported furniture.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump accused foreign competitors of undermining the U.S. movie industry and vowed to restore America’s dominance in film and furniture manufacturing.
“The movie making business of the U.S. has been stolen by other countries like candy from a baby,” Trump wrote. “California, with its weak and incompetent Governor, has been particularly hard hit. Therefore, I will be imposing a 100% tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States.”
Impact on Canada’s Film Industry
The move has raised alarm in Canada, where the film and television industry is tightly integrated with Hollywood. Canada is a leading co-production partner with the U.S., and major American studios frequently film in cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal to take advantage of skilled crews, world-class infrastructure, and tax incentives.
Industry experts warn that a 100% tariff on Canadian-made films could:
- Deter U.S. distributors from purchasing or screening Canadian films due to prohibitive costs.
- Undermine co-productions between Canadian and U.S. studios, which rely on cross-border financing and distribution agreements.
- Jeopardize thousands of Canadian jobs in film production, post-production, and visual effects, as studios weigh whether to relocate projects to avoid tariffs.
“This tariff could devastate Canada’s screen industry,” said a Toronto-based producer. “Our close ties with Hollywood mean we’re directly in the line of fire. Independent Canadian filmmakers will find it even harder to sell films south of the border.”
Furniture Tariffs and Trade Tensions
Trump also pledged “substantial tariffs” on furniture from countries that do not manufacture in the U.S., following his administration’s earlier announcement of 50% tariffs on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities and 30% on upholstered furniture beginning October 1, 2025.
Canada exports billions of dollars’ worth of furniture annually to the U.S., and the proposed tariffs could put Canadian manufacturers at a disadvantage against U.S. domestic producers.
Broader Economic Concerns
Hollywood’s recent struggles—including box office declines and a $5 billion loss from union strikes in 2023—have fueled Trump’s push for tariffs. But analysts caution that the new trade barriers will not only escalate Canada-U.S. tensions but also lead to higher consumer prices on both sides of the border.
“This is protectionism at its sharpest,” said a Canadian trade analyst. “Tariffs of this scale will disrupt cultural exports, undermine free trade principles, and hit Canadian industries hard—film and furniture are only the beginning.”