Sponsors (9)
The bill gives U.S. digital exporters stronger, more transparent tools to challenge and remedy discriminatory foreign streaming rules, but raises the risk of costly trade escalation, higher prices for consumers and businesses, and additional administrative burdens.
Small and mid-sized U.S. streaming companies and digital exporters will be protected from discriminatory Canadian rules, helping preserve export revenues and related jobs.
U.S. companies will have a formal channel to raise grievances and seek relief (including duties or suspension of benefits), giving affected firms a concrete mechanism to obtain remedies.
Requires timely public reporting, quarterly updates, and stakeholder consultation, increasing transparency, congressional oversight, and accountability of U.S. trade responses to Canada's Online Streaming Act.
Imposing tariffs, suspending benefits, or other retaliatory measures would likely raise prices for U.S. consumers and businesses and disrupt cross-border supply chains and services.
Escalation with Canada could strain bilateral cooperation and diplomacy, harming broader policy coordination and market access for U.S. firms.
Broadening enforcement obligations risks triggering disputes or retaliatory measures with multiple FTA partners and could prompt protectionist responses that reduce leverage for multilateral solutions.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Requires USTR to investigate Canada’s Online Streaming Act under Section 301, report to Congress, and use trade remedies if measures are found discriminatory and not remedied.
Official title: To provide for an investigation of Canadian digital trade practices, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 19, 2026 by Lloyd K. Smucker · Last progress March 19, 2026
Requires the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to open a Section 301 investigation into Canada’s Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11) within 30 days of enactment, consult U.S. streaming stakeholders, and report findings to Congress. If the USTR finds Canada’s measures are discriminatory and Canada fails to remedy them, the bill directs the USTR to pursue trade remedies — including suspending trade-agreement benefits or imposing duties — and to extend the same process to any other U.S. free-trade partner that adopts similar measures. The bill also requires an initial USTR report within 90 days, quarterly updates for two years, public summaries, stakeholder consultations before any remedial action, and the option to terminate actions if Canada remedies the discriminatory measures.