When the new Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement was adopted in September 2018, the Canadian government was delighted to have been able to maintain the cultural exemption. It was called a major gain. We had saved the essentials to protect our “cultural sovereignty”.
A few days later, Véronique Guèvremont, professor holder of the UNESCO Chair on the diversity of cultural expressions, and Ivan Bernier, professor emeritus of the Faculty of Law of Laval University, sounded a completely different story.
Indeed, both were concerned that a retaliation clause had been added to this new agreement.
“If Canada were to decide to move forward with such digitally-friendly measures, covered by the new USMCA cultural exemption, we would only have to hope that the United States refrain from having recourse to their right of reprisals and that they renounce asking us for the payment of any compensation whatsoever. » (The dutyOctober 5, 2018)
Well, here we are.
A coalition of American digital companies sent a letter to President Joe Biden ahead of his meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister. These companies are complaining about Bills C-11, on online streaming, and C-18, on online news.
According to an excerpt from this letter addressed to the American president, the coalition denounces the two bills under consideration:
We are concerned that Canada is pursuing a number of problematic proposals and actions that could significantly limit the ability of US companies to export their goods and services and compete fairly in the Canadian market.
Could there be reprisals under this new trade agreement between the three North American “friends”, as Véronique Guèvremont and Ivan Bernier feared? If that were the case, we could see a real affront to our cultural sovereignty.
Let’s hope that our cultural circles, our media and our two levels of government react before the taste for reprisals from our neighbors to the South, where, let’s remember, the “digital barbarians” (Americans) live, takes them.