Australia’s Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, has warned against proposed tariffs on foreign films.
The former Prime Minister said: “I don’t think we want to see a tax on Bluey.”
Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Rudd opposed the suggestion of a 100 per cent tariff on foreign movies.
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Trump’s proposal, announced on Sunday, aims to safeguard the US film industry by imposing a hefty tariff on movies produced overseas.
He claimed that incentives offered by other countries to attract film production overseas represented a “concerted effort” and posed a “national Security threat”.
Rudd, along with UK Ambassador Peter Mandelson and Luxembourg Ambassador Nicole Bintner, expressed concern over the impact such tariffs could have on cultural diplomacy.
“What happens if we all lock down our countries with competitive, punitive arrangements against each other’s movies?” Rudd asked.
While the logistics of imposing such a tariff remain unclear, Rudd expressed ongoing concerns about the potential consequences of trade barriers on the film industry.
“Movies are the way in which we kind of understand each other more. So I’d be all for opening this up.”
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