Canada’s CUSMA negotiator briefed on new CRTC streaming rules amid U.S. pushback

Canada’s trade pointperson for the forthcoming review of North America’s free trade pact received a heads up about the CRTC’s recent decision to increase funding requirements for U.S. streamers. Last week, as part of its ongoing implementation of the Online Streaming Act (OSA), the commission announced it will require online streaming companies with Canadian revenues exceeding $25 million to earmark 15 per cent of the total to finance domestic programming. Previously, the regulator had required streamers to allocate five per cent of yearly revenues to various funding programs. The change is expected to generate $2 billion annually for Canada’s cultural ecosystem, though the policy has faced consistent opposition from U.S. industry and political entities, including President Donald Trump’s administration, which has identified the rules as an irritant ahead of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) review. A spokesperson for Janice Charette, who was appointed as Canada’s chief trade negotiator earlier this year, confirmed to The Wire Report that a briefing was delivered as Charette looks to stay informed on “matters and developments within her area of responsibility.” “She continues to work to ensure Canada’s best interests as part of the CUSMA Joint Review process,” read a statement from Pierre Cuguen from the Privy Council Office. Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc (Beauséjour, N.B.) also received a briefing note on the recent decision, per his office. Jamieson Greer, Trump’s top trade representative, has previously suggested that a “resolution” to the contribution requirements levied against U.S. streamers is crucial to a successful renewal of CUSMA, which is scheduled for July 1. Various American industry groups have described the policy as "discriminatory" against U.S.-based companies, though Canadian enterprises are also captured by the rules. “The entire purpose of the regime is to create a preferential regime for Canadian content (which, by regulatory definition, a U.S. company cannot fully own or make), thereby discriminating against content classified as American or from a third country” read a recent report from the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), a U.S. trade group that counts Alphabet Inc. (the parent company of Google and YouTube), Amazon.com Inc., and Apple Inc. as members. In a statement, Jonathan McHale, the CCIA’s vice-president of digital trade, called on U.S. lawmakers to “initiate an investigation into the impact of this decision and consider an appropriate and timely response.” “Imposing legacy broadcasting requirements on innovative digital platforms, which will cost U.S. firms almost $7 billion ($9.6 billion CAD) over the next five years, will only impede Canada’s audiovisual industry’s ability to adapt to an interactive medium with global reach,” said McHale. There’s no publicly available list of qualifying corporations under the new rules, though CCIA analysis suggested Google, Apple, Amazon, as well as Netflix Inc., Paramount Global, Pluto Inc., the Texas-based streamer CrunchyRoll, Walt Disney Co. (through Disney+), Roku Inc., and Fox Corp.’s Tubi could be captured In March, Republican congressman Lloyd Smucker introduced a U.S. federal bill that, if passed, would launch an investigation into whether the contribution requirements discriminate against U.S. companies. That bill, known as the Protecting American Streaming and Innovation Act, is currently being studied by the ways and means committee in the House of Representatives. Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, has said the commission’s recent decision is “making a bid situation worse.” “CRTC is targeting and taxing U.S. companies, putting up new, discriminatory trade barriers, and worsening the investment climate for American businesses,” he wrote in a social media post. On Monday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre (Battle River—Crowfoot, Alta.) wrote a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney (Nepean, Ont.) asking him to “scrap your Liberal Netflix tax hike.” “While Canadians are struggling with the cost of filling up their tank and their grocery cart, they don’t need another tax on watching their favourite show, movie, or listening to their favourite song,” wrote Poilievre. It should be noted that the CRTC is an arm’s length regulator and its recent decision was made independently, though the new policy rules were implemented under the OSA, introduced in 2022 by Justin Trudeau’s government. Over the weekend, Poilievre also told CBC News the regulator’s decision will cause streamers to up subscription costs facing Canadians, referring to it as a “consumer tax.” Prior to the letter, Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, Que.) said the federal government was “reviewing” the new policy. dlegree@thewirereport.ca

Canada’s CUSMA negotiator briefed on new CRTC streaming rules amid U.S. pushback

Regulatory |
By Davis Legree
|May 25, 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

Canada’s CUSMA negotiator briefed on new CRTC streaming rules amid U.S. pushback

Regulatory | By Davis Legree |May 25, 2026

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

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Cranky Yanks and Canuck Thanks: Reactions pour in to streaming rules

CRTC makes landmark decisions on CanCon and discoverability — a breakdown

‘We don’t regulate AI’: CRTC chair grapples with evolving tech in panel discussion

Related Stories

Cranky Yanks and Canuck Thanks: Reactions pour in to streaming rules

CRTC makes landmark decisions on CanCon and discoverability — a breakdown

‘We don’t regulate AI’: CRTC chair grapples with evolving tech in panel discussion

CRTC should start pushing back against federal government, says CTA president

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

Regulatory |
By Davis Legree
|May 25, 2026