On May 5th Donald Trump announced online that he was implementing a 100% tariff on American films shot outside the country. “We want films made in America” he declared.
While the details remain unclear, the tax is worrying the audiovisual sector in many countries, including Morocco where, according to Atlas Studio, American productions represent 30% of local activity. If implemented, the tax could lead to a drop in the number of film shoots, at a time when Morocco’s audiovisual industry is growing steadily. According to 360 journalist Nabil Ouzzane “In 2024 investments related to international productions in Morocco reached 1.5 billion dirhams (nearly 140 million euros), compared to around 1 billion (95 million euros) in 2023.”
Trump’s announcement had an immediate impact on producers. 360 reveals that already “one American production company has suspended a planned shoot in Ouarzazate.”
Some, however, are putting Trump’s announcement into perspective. Interviewed by L’info en face, Moroccan director Hicham Lasri said: “American productions come to Morocco for what they can’t find anywhere else: the desert, the light, the natural settings. That’s not what Trump is targeting. He’s targeting closed studios in England or Canada that are a lower-cost replacement for Los Angeles.”
Sources: 360, France Info, Le Matin
