Washington – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with President Trump at the White House tomorrow to discuss shared economic priorities. Renewal of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a decision slated for next year following a review that commenced last month, is expected to be on the agenda, as are ongoing restrictions – particularly discriminatory measures U.S. digital services face in accessing the Canadian market.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has repeatedly identified concerns with Canada’s Online Streaming Act as well as legislation authorizing a news link tax, and looks to see progress on addressing these issues during the Tuesday meeting. Companies began making payments to Canada in August as part of a payment deadline relating to the Online News Act, increasing the urgency for the U.S. government to address this issue.
CCIA Vice President of Digital Trade, Jonathan McHale, testified recently on the streaming act, summarizing CCIA’s written filing that streaming platforms have revived the industry from the piracy era and now serve as a leading export engine for Canadian culture.
CCIA also recently completed an analysis estimating that Canada’s new contribution regime for online streaming companies, including for music, could cost U.S. music and video services up to nearly US$7 billion by 2030.
The following can be attributed to CCIA Vice President of Digital Trade, Jonathan McHale:
“Canada is one of the US’s most important trading partners, and measures that target US companies conflict with that longstanding relationship and with both countries’ goals to boost their digital economies. Canada’s Online Streaming Act is a patently discriminatory law that restricts U.S. companies’ ability to operate in Canada, raising consumer costs and mandating spending on Canadian content that limits access to high-quality global programming. The act is an “ill-fitting rule” that disrupts a successful business model, especially since Canadian production and music are already performing well, including in export markets. It should be repealed.”
