Donald Trump is preparing to unveil a trade deal with the UK on Thursday amid ongoing talks with the British government about his film tariff bombshell.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said he would hold a “big news conference” at 10AM local time, concerning a “major trade deal with representatives of a big, and highly respected country.”
10 Downing Street also confirmed that Prime Minister Keir Starmer will update the nation on his trade talks with an “indispensable ally for both our economic and national security.”
The precise nature and details of the trade deal are yet to be confirmed, but the UK has been taking a softly-softly approach to Trump’s tariff “liberation day.”
America is the UK’s biggest single trading partner, buying around £200B ($266B) worth of British goods and services. Britain wants to secure exemptions from Trump’s 10% universal tariff, with steel and the car industry being particular focus areas.
It is not clear if the trade deal will reference Trump’s shock announcement over the weekend that he intends to slap a 100% tariff on film imports.
The UK would be particularly vulnerable to any movie tariff, given that the country has established itself as one of Hollywood’s top destinations for offshoring shoots, thanks to tax incentives, a skilled workforce, and a shared language.
UK culture minister Sir Chris Bryant told the House of Commons on Wednesday that “active discussions” are underway “with the top of the U.S. administration” over any potential film tariff. He added that the UK government is working to strike “a proper trade” that will “mitigate the tariffs.”
“We are absolutely clear that the deep ties between the U.S. and UK film industries provide mutual benefits to both countries,” Bryant said. “I was once told by a film producer, ‘Never judge a film by the first 10 minutes.’ I think we can say the same of this [announcement].”
The minister revealed that he had held talks with major industry players about the issue, including Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, home to Harry Potter and Barbie.
Avengers: Doomsday and Enola Holmes 3 are among the major studio movies currently shooting in UK facilities after U.S. companies spent close to £1.4B ($1.9B) making films in Britain last year. That figure equated to 64% of all UK film production, according to the British Film Institute.
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