Trump’s film tariff could ‘derail Bim’s emerging film hub’

Barbados’ burgeoning cinema industry is staring down a potentially major setback, industry figures said Monday, following a proposal by US President Donald Trump to impose a 100 per cent tariff on films exported to the US.

While the policy is mainly aimed at encouraging Hollywood studios to shoot more films in the US, it’s causing ripple effects that go far beyond American borders — including in Barbados, where the industry had been building momentum as a regional hub for international productions in recent years.

Speaking exclusively to Barbados TODAY, Jamal Slocombe, president of the Barbados Film and Television Association (BFTA), described the proposed tariffs as a “serious threat” to the island’s growing film ecosystem.

“These tariffs, aimed at penalising American producers who choose to film abroad, could have unintended consequences for small, developing industries like ours that are actively trying to attract international projects,” he explained. “While foreign productions are not the cornerstone of our creative economy, they have played an important role in recent years by injecting valuable foreign exchange, providing employment opportunities, and giving Barbadian professionals exposure to global production standards and practices. These benefits have helped lay the groundwork for a more mature and competitive local sector.”

The impact couldn’t come at a worse time, according to Slocombe, who noted that the government had been preparing to roll out a suite of tax rebate incentives aimed at making the country a more competitive filming destination. These incentives were seen as a critical step in attracting US productions and positioning Barbados as a creative hub in the Caribbean.

But, he said: “The looming threat of US tariffs risks scuppering those plans. By financially penalising US companies for choosing to film in places like Barbados, the proposed policy could drastically reduce the number of American productions willing to work abroad, thus directly undermining our incentive strategy.”

For Kerri Birch, one of the directors at 13 Degrees North Productions, the policy, though vague currently in how it will seek to implement the tariffs, will undoubtedly have an impact on the number of US based film companies who seek to include part of their production in Barbados.

She explained: “This in turn may see a drastic reduction in films and co-productions occurring in Barbados and the region. We (13 Degrees North) must now navigate through this with three pending productions slated to be shot in the Caribbean in the next few months. More than likely, it will be a trying time for Caribbean production companies with the US market.”

She however said that the plan could backfire on its intent, stating: “While the intent may be to bring filmmaking back to the US, it could instead push streamers and distributors to invest more in global markets, creating greater opportunities for international filmmakers and sidelining the American industry hence, worsening the decline of US domestic film production.”

Slocombe shared the view that the tariff could have another unintended consequence in helping to foster a healthier and more sustainable local film industry.

He said: “This development serves as a timely and sobering reminder: while attracting international productions can be beneficial, they should not form the foundation of our industry. Relying too heavily on foreign investment makes us vulnerable to external policies and global shifts that are entirely beyond our control. Instead, we must shift focus toward nurturing a homegrown film sector that is self-reliant, culturally rooted, and resilient to outside pressures.”

Barbados has emerged as a vibrant hub for film and television production in the Caribbean, attracting major international projects such as Netflix’s Outer Banks and a significant portion of the series finale of the HBO series Succession in early 2023. The Roy siblings, played by Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, and Sarah Snook, are shown visiting the West Coast villa of their mother. Key scenes included a memorable moonlit beach swim and Bathsheba.

Barbados was the backdrop of two significant Hollywood productions, the 1957 romance drama Island in the Sun, starring Harry Belafonte, and the 1974 romantic spy thriller Tamarind Seed, featuring Omar Sharif and Julie Andrews. In the 1990s, some episodes of the US soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful were filmed here. The storyline involved characters searching for each other along the island’s scenic beaches, highlighting the island’s appeal as a filming location even decades ago.

Barbadian films Hit for Six, Hush 1, 2 and 3, Chrissy, Pay Day, Into the Darkness, and Camouflage — which premiered in the UK in early 2024 — have gained international appeal.

shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb