Dear ICG 669 members,
As many of you are aware, yesterday, the US President issued a directive instructing the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to impose a 100% tariff on all movies produced outside the United States and imported into the country.
In response, we have already engaged with Minister Spencer Chandra-Herbert (BC Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport) and Minister Kennedy (MB Sport, Culture, Heritage, and Tourism) and will continue our active discussions with the BC Ministry of Labour, the Premier’s office, the Tariff Working Group, and other government officials across our jurisdiction to ensure the voices of our motion picture workers are heard. The BC Federation of Labour remains a strong ally, and we are working closely with IATSE International to assess the situation and move forward with a unified strategy, with all stakeholders. It is critical that our voices are present in Ottawa this week, as Prime Minister Carney meets with the US President to address tariff concerns, and we will continue to work with the Film Commissioners, Screen BC, On Screen Manitoba, Screen Saskatchewan, and Studio representatives.
We understand that this announcement is unsettling and disruptive. We are taking a clear-eyed, measured approach and are committed to providing you with information as the situation develops. We encourage members to avoid speculation and remain focused on the facts as they emerge. The global nature of our industry means the full impact and implementation details of this directive are not clear, and we will continue to navigate with industry and government to weigh the implications and responses.
We will keep you informed.
In solidarity,
Michael Balfry csc
President
ICG 669
