{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://smucker.house.gov/media/press-releases/smucker-sanchez-lead-bipartisan-letter-expressing-concern-canadas-digital", "Smucker, S\u00e1nchez Lead Bipartisan Letter Expressing Concern with Canada\u2019s Digital Trade Barriers", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Lloyd Smucker", "S001199", "smucker.house.gov", "smucker", "https://smucker.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014Reps. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) and Linda S\u00e1nchez (CA-38) led a bipartisan letter from 27 of their colleagues from the Committee on Ways and Means, expressing grave concerns about Canada\u2019s digital trade barriers. The letter was addressed to Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Canada\u2019s Ambassador to the United States Kristen Hillman.\n\n\u201cWhile we are strong supporters of the bilateral relationship with Canada, discriminatory policies, like the Online Streaming Act, undermine the value of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA),\u201d the lawmakers write.\n\nCanada\u2019s Online Streaming Act \u201cis actively restricting access, disadvantaging U.S. companies and artists, and undermining the shared commitment to fair competition that is essential as our countries prepare for the USMCA review,\u201d the letter states.\n\nThe Online Streaming Act is a discriminatory tax that requires American streaming companies operating in Canada to contribute part of their revenues to funds that produce local Canadian content. Estimates show that this law could cost American companies up to $7 billion by 2030.\n\nRead the full letter. Full text below.\n\nDear Minister LeBlanc and Ambassador Hillman,\n\nWe write to share our deep concerns with Canada\u2019s Online Streaming Act (formerly Bill C-11)\n\nand the subsequent Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)\n\nimplementing decisions. We urge the Canadian Government to rescind this digital trade barrier\n\nimmediately, including by terminating the collection of fees. This is especially important as our\n\ntwo countries undertake the six-year review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement\n\n(USMCA). While we are strong supporters of the bilateral relationship with Canada,\n\ndiscriminatory policies, like the Online Streaming Act, undermine the value of the United States-\n\nMexico-Canada Agreement.\n\nAs you know, the Online Streaming Act requires foreign streaming services to contribute five\n\npercent of gross revenues to Canadian production funds as a condition of market access. A\n\nforthcoming CRTC decision may extend these obligations further, adding direct spending\n\nrequirements tied to what the Canadian government deems to be \u201cCanadian content.\u201d This\n\nconstitutes a clearly discriminatory and burdensome levy on cross-border trade that violates the\n\nspirit of the USMCA.\n\nThe USMCA was built upon principles of fair and cooperative trade, and decisions that impose\n\ndiscriminatory regulations on American platforms create a clear distortion in the digital\n\nmarketplace. Under this law, Canada is actively restricting access, disadvantaging U.S.\n\ncompanies and artists, and undermining the shared commitment to fair competition that is\n\nessential as our countries prepare for the USMCA review.\n\nAdditionally, streaming services are a vital part of the Canadian economy, but the\n\nimplementation of the Online Streaming Act threatens to chill foreign investment. In 2022,\n\nglobal studios and streaming platforms invested $7.58 billion1 in production in Canada, while\n\nmusic streaming specifically generated more than $422.7 million in recorded music revenue in\n\nCanada in 20242. Global studios increased their production levels in Canada by 285 percent\n\nbetween 2011 and 2021, with an average of 97 percent of cast, crew, and production personnel\n\nworking on those projects in Canada3. Heavy-handed regulations from the Canadian government\n\ncould jeopardize these foreign investments through the Online Streaming Act and CRTC\n\ndecisions.\n\nThis law not only endangers cross-border investment but also risks undermining confidence in\n\nCanada\u2019s commitment to a fair and open digital marketplace at the precise moment when our\n\ncountries should be working to strengthen cooperation ahead of the USMCA review. We\n\nrecognize the importance of the U.S.-Canada trade relationship and appreciate Canada\u2019s decision\n\nto rescind its Digital Services Tax Act. This was the right call, and it certainly improves\n\nopportunities for bilateral cooperation. However, the Online Streaming Act poses an equally\n\nsignificant threat to this relationship. As we begin our work to prepare for the USMCA review\n\nnext year, we urge you to rescind the Online Streaming Act to show a true willingness to end\n\ndiscrimination against American companies and artists.", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://smucker.house.gov/media/press-releases/smucker-sanchez-lead-bipartisan-letter-expressing-concern-canadas-digital"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5723342075943947, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}