LeBlanc ‘reassured’ audiovisual groups that cultural exemption won’t be part of CUSMA review: sources

Federal cabinet ministers have told leaders in the arts and culture sector that the upcoming review of North America’s free trade deal will not affect the longstanding exemption for Canadian books, films, music, and other cultural outputs. Dominic LeBlanc, the government’s pointperson for Canada-U.S. trade, held a meeting with domestic audiovisual leaders on Feb. 23 to hear their perspectives and provide an update on trade discussions with the U.S. ahead of the scheduled review for the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). According to several people who participated in the two-hour-long meeting, LeBlanc “reassured” stakeholders that trade discussions have not focused on the cultural exception in CUSMA, which allows Ottawa to implement protectionist policies for arts and broadcasting industries that would otherwise violate the agreement. The cultural exception was also negotiated into the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the predecessor to CUSMA signed in 1994. “There was nothing that heightened our worry,” said one sector representative, who asked not to be named in order to speak freely. “There’s definitely been more noise south of the border in recent weeks about the Online Streaming Act.” Alongside LeBlanc (Beauséjour, N.B.), who posted a picture of the meeting on social media, the conversation also featured Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, Que.), Health Minister Marjorie Michel (Papineau, Que.), Janice Charette, who had just recently been appointed as Canada’s chief trade negotiator, and several other MPs and federal officials. “We came away from that meeting feeling reassured that the government understood the industry’s concerns,” said one source. Another industry player, who also wished to remain anonymous, said they left the meeting “feeling confident” about the future of Canada’s cultural exception. “I trust them,” they told The Wire Report in an interview. “We have no reason to feel pessimistic at this stage.” The source added that the federal position around individual legislation, like the Online Streaming Act, was less clear, but they do not feel the law is “threatened.” Miller has previously said the streaming act and Online News Act were both part of ongoing discussions with U.S. trade negotiators, as reported by Politico. When asked for comment, LeBlanc’s office said the minister has always emphasized that culture and measures protecting the French language would “not be on the table,” but in terms of the specifics of the CUSMA review, they “couldn’t go any further.” LeBlanc appeared before senators during the Upper Chamber’s question period on Feb. 24, during which he was asked by New Brunswick Sen. René Cormier about Ottawa’s approach to the cultural exception. “ wanted reassurance that we weren’t going to negotiate or weaken the cultural exemption and that we protect the French language,” said LeBlanc in French. “We do so with great enthusiasm and no hesitation at all.” “I think we can reassure them of the government’s commitment to continue along those lines in the future.” The February meeting came as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has ratcheted up criticism of various Canadian cultural policies, including the Online Streaming Act, which requires U.S. tech companies to help fund the production of domestic news and media, as well as the Online News Act, which forces companies such as Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook to compensate journalistic organizations for news content posted on their platforms. In addition to other policies, these laws would likely not be possible without the cultural exception in CUSMA, which, under section 32.6, allows Canada to forgo the agreement for any “measure adopted or maintained by Canada with respect to a cultural industry.” Last year, Jamieson Greer, Trump’s top trade representative, specifically identified the Online Streaming Act and Online News Act as “irritants” before a joint congressional committee, adding that the “resolution” of these issues would be imperative for a successful renewal of CUSMA. More recently, Greer’s office brought forward the U.S. National Trade Estimates Report on March 31, which did not mention the cultural exception, but referenced the streaming law, the “discoverability of French-language cultural content,” and “audiovisual services” as existing barriers. “The United States will closely monitor the implementation of the Act and any USMCA implications,” read the report. Regardless, audiovisual leaders insisted upon the importance of maintaining the cultural exception to help preserve Canadian heritage and act as a bulwark against the encroachment of U.S. media. “The exemption is a pillar of our cultural policy in Canada and a pillar of our community,” said one source. “We need to see it strongly protected.” Another source described the exception as a “nice safety net” that remains popular amongst Canadians. Last year, research from the Canadian Media Producers Association found 87 per cent of Canadians feel it’s important to protect Canadian culture against threats from the U.S., while the same percentage of respondents said they supported the aims of the Online Streaming Act. The CUSMA review, which will determine the trade deal’s fate, is scheduled for July 1, though discussions between Canadian and American officials have reportedly stalled, prompting the White House to indicate that negotiations may extend beyond the set deadline. dlegree@thewirereport.ca

LeBlanc ‘reassured’ audiovisual groups that cultural exemption won’t be part of CUSMA review: sources

Broadcast |
By Davis Legree
|April 9, 2026

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

LeBlanc ‘reassured’ audiovisual groups that cultural exemption won’t be part of CUSMA review: sources

Broadcast | By Davis Legree |April 9, 2026

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Colleen Jones to be inducted into CBC News Hall of Fame

Canada Media Fund unveils $359M plan for 2026-27

CBC must modernize to operate in digital environment, says Canadian Internet Society

Related Stories

Laurie Cameron appointed as National Film Board trustee

Ottawa open to merging National Film Board, Telefilm: government source

Producers urge shift to ‘audience-first’ strategy to boost CanCon discoverability in digital age

Canadian Media Fund CEO suggests advancing tax credits for film and television

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

Broadcast |
By Davis Legree
|April 9, 2026