Australian Production Association Urges Quick Action on Streaming Laws Amid Trump Tariffs

The Screen Producers Australia (SPA) is urgently calling for the implementation of long-awaited streaming regulations. This comes as the international economic landscape becomes increasingly volatile due to trade tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump.

SPA recently conducted a survey among its members, revealing significant concerns regarding the challenging conditions for securing commissions and the adverse impacts of postponed streaming taxes.

“A large number of our members involved in producing screen content have reported severe negative impacts due to the postponed enforcement of local content requirements,” stated Matthew Deaner, CEO of SPA.

Although the survey was initiated before President Trump’s announcement of extensive tariffs affecting many countries, including a 10% tariff on Australian goods, the proposed content quotas for U.S.-based streaming services are expected to face strong opposition from both the Trump administration and the Motion Picture Association.

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Following the tariff announcement, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reaffirmed his support for local content quotas on streaming platforms, despite the fact that their rollout has been stalled for over 18 months. “We are fully committed to maintaining Australian narratives on our screens through local content on streaming services,” he declared.

Deaner expressed last week, “The Australian Government is facing intense pressure from the U.S. regarding this matter, clearly influenced by the aggressive stance of the Motion Picture Association, which has been actively trying to undermine, delay, and diminish the local content regulations established in the 2004 Australia-US Free Trade Agreement. Ensuring strong regulatory frameworks for streaming platforms is of utmost importance to SPA.”

The U.S. Trade Representative has specifically criticized Australia’s National Cultural Policy, termed Revive, in its ‘Foreign Trade Barriers’ report, highlighting the content quota strategy and warning that it will keep a close watch to ensure Australia adheres to its FTA commitments.

Despite these challenges, current regulations on this issue have yet to be established, leading to increasing unrest within the Australian television and film production sectors. “This recent survey shows a significant drop in confidence within the industry compared to last year. The estimated losses in work are alarming, but not surprising,” Deaner commented.

He further noted, “The deadlock over this regulation is causing a slowdown in the approval of new projects. Each delayed or lost commission equates to millions in lost investments, job losses, business uncertainty, and reduced local content production, which will impact audiences for years to come.”

“Without prompt regulatory intervention, we risk losing the rich diversity of our cultural storytelling, as well as the economic benefits that a vibrant local industry provides,” he added.

The SPA survey further underscores the plight of Australian producers, with more than 170 commissions stalled or lost, resulting in over 15,000 job cuts across 61 companies and approximately A$1B ($630M) in lost funding.

“As audiences increasingly shift to streaming services, our local content regulations have failed to adapt and are currently in limbo,” Deaner, a staunch advocate for Australian independent production, stated. “Resolving this policy deadlock sooner rather than later will benefit Australian viewers, our members, and the entire local screen industry.”