Exclusive: BFI pushes for exemption of UK screen industries in Trump deal
EXCLUSIVE: The British Film Institute asked the UK government to exclude the country’s film and television sectors from a trade agreement with the United States tied to Donald Trump. The BFI circulated a policy note in May 2025 outlining why inclusion would hamper the government’s ability to reward British companies with subsidies and tax incentives.
The document argues that bringing AV industries into the pact could restrict the UK’s future discretion to favor domestic players, potentially undermining existing subsidy schemes and tax reliefs.
The paper also warns that an US–UK accord could provoke European Union retaliation that would jeopardize access to European markets for UK audiovisual content. The EU accounts for a majority of export value in the sector, with around 51% of film exports going to Europe compared with roughly 20% to the United States.
A dedicated section titled AI Dangers cautions that a trade deal could let US AI firms loosen copyright protections, risking livelihoods across the creative industries. The policy note urged the UK to retain regulatory sovereignty to avoid a more permissive regime for copyrighted works.
The briefing was unveiled as the government released more than 1,000 pages about Lord Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the U.S.; the documents note that Mandelson was dismissed last year over links to Jeffrey Epstein.
The article also notes that the film and TV sector was not included in the economic agreement Trump signed with the UK last year, when tariffs on film imports were a talking point. A BFI representative told Deadline that tariffs would be damaging to British business given the sector’s heavy US inward investment.
The BFI declined to comment further.
Source: Original article
