Trump on Tariffs: James Bond has nothing to worry about

US President Donald Trump has reassured fans and producers of the popular

James Bond

film franchise that they will not be impacted by his proposed 100% tariffs on foreign-made movies.“James Bond has nothing to worry about,” Trump said, suggesting that the 007 spy franchise will benefit from the

US-UK trade deal

.He also noted that Sean Connery — who played the first film version of James Bond in 1962’s “Dr.

No” — was a friend.“Sean Connery was a friend of mine... He helped me get zoning in Aberdeen. He said, ‘Let the bloody bloke build his golf courses.’”

Speaking from the Oval Office on Thursday during a discussion about a new UK trade agreement, Trump attempted a Connery impression and addressed the global entertainment industry’s concerns over his escalating trade war. His comments come days after he labelled films made outside the US as a “national security threat.” The Trump administration has since proposed a 100% tariff on such films, a move that has sent shockwaves through

Hollywood

.The US president suggested that the Bond franchise, which is now under Amazon MGM Studios, will be exempt. The next 007 instalment is currently in development in London, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman confirmed as producers. Trump’s tariff plan is widely seen as an attempt to bring film production back to the United States. “They all live here, the money comes from here, everything comes from here, but they make them in other countries,” he said. “We’re gonna do something to bring them back.”The deal also failed to mention digital services, with the White House keen to tackle a recent digital services tax imposed by Britain on US tech giants.