Big tech sent a wish list to U.S. trade negotiators. Here are the Canadian policies they want scrapped

The U.S. industry group representing Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc. (Google), and Apple Inc., along with other big tech companies, is asking the White House to pressure Canadian lawmakers into scrapping the Online Streaming Act, the Online News Act, and policies that favour Canadian tech companies and services. In comments submitted to the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) filed a 324-page document outlining foreign trade barriers to U.S. exports. The filing named nearly 80 countries, plus the European Union, as jurisdictions with trade barriers to the U.S. Unsurprisingly, the association once again took issue with the funding requirements for streamers established under the Online Streaming Act, saying the obligations are “discriminatory and inconsistent” with areas of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Trade Agreement (CUSMA). The report referenced the Canadian government’s intention to scrap the five per cent base contribution requirements, but asserted the policy remains in limbo due to the absence of Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller’s (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, Que.) promised policy objectives. “Since the underlying law remains in effect and the CRTC retains broad discretion in implementing it, legal certainty with respect to the discriminatory effects of this law will not be achieved absent repeal,” the report read. “CCIA urges USTR to pursue this goal.” The report noted other grievances under the Online Streaming Act, such as the Cancon funding structure. The CCIA argued the condition for 20 per cent Canadian copyright ownership, coupled with the Canadian creative-participation requirements, “continues to disadvantage wholly U.S.-owned content and can influence investment and licensing arrangements.” The CRTC’s discoverability framework, announced earlier this year, was also a sticking point, with the report saying, “(r)equirements governing presentation and promotion may constrain how affected services organize their offerings and respond to audience preferences.” Meanwhile, the CCIA is asking the USTR to “maintain pressure on Canada to withdraw or substantially revise” the Online News Act, which requires companies to compensate publishers for news content appearing on their platforms. The advocacy group said the law “has failed to achieve its stated objectives and instead imposed harmful consequences on digital services, Canadian consumers, and the open internet.” Canada’s 50 per cent retaliatory tariffs on “smartphones, certain networking and routing equipment, and certain monitors,” as well as the 25 per cent tariffs on “specified printed circuit assemblies,” all of which were brought forward during the bilateral trade war with the U.S., were also identified as trade barriers. “These measures directly increase the cost of covered U.S. technology exports and disrupt integrated North American supply chains,” the report read, adding the USTR must work with Canada to remove the retaliatory tariffs “and restore predictable, tariff-free trade in technology products.” Other recommendations stemmed from Canada’s sovereign cloud initiative, announced in 2025, which aims to ensure Canada retains domestic control over data and cloud computing, and revises the cloud procurement stream to reduce reliance on U.S. big tech. “Canada’s proposed requirements raise significant concerns,” the CCIA wrote. “Conditioning participation on ownership structures and jurisdictional control, rather than on technical capacity or security standards, effectively excludes U.S. cloud providers from competing on fair terms.” “CCIA urges USTR to engage proactively with the Government of Canada to ensure that this initiative does not evolve into a discriminatory barrier to trade and to safeguard the ability of U.S. cloud and digital service providers to compete fairly in the Canadian market.” The association also wants the USTR to seek “clear scope, proportionate implementation, and safeguards against requirements that unnecessarily restrict lawful services or undermine privacy and security,” when it comes to the government’s proposed Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act. When it comes to the federal government’s new artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, the USTR should oppose “nationality-based restrictions on AI services, infrastructure, and investment,” the report said. The CCIA calls for participation in the strategy to “enhance access to international technology and reflect competitive procurement.” Meanwhile, Canada’s Copyright Act isn’t up to par for the CCIA, either. The association wants a text and data mining (TDM) exception penciled into the act to help train AI models. While jurisdictions around the world grapple with the question of implementing a TDM exception, Miller has previously indicated an unwillingness to amend the Copyright Act in the face of AI development. Bill C-36, Canada’s proposed update to the consumer privacy law, must also be consistent with CUSMA’s data transfer obligations, the report read. “If passed, USTR should encourage implementation that protects privacy while supporting cross-border services and avoiding unnecessary restrictions on legitimate data use.” Finally, continuing its trend of looking for “transparent, proportionate, nationality-neutral implementation” of Canadian laws, the CCIA is calling for the same approach to C-8, Canada’s cybersecurity legislation, which received Royal Assent in June. The comments were submitted last week in advance of the 2027 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, set to be released by USTR Jamieson Greer’s office next year. mcollins@thewirereport.ca

Big tech sent a wish list to U.S. trade negotiators. Here are the Canadian policies they want scrapped

Regulatory |
By Maria Collins
|November 2, 2026

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Big tech sent a wish list to U.S. trade negotiators. Here are the Canadian policies they want scrapped

Regulatory | By Maria Collins |November 2, 2026

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