A new Republican-sponsored bill in the U.S. Congress takes aim at Canada's attempts to force foreign streaming companies such as Netflix and Disney+ to pay into Canadian funds for domestic content production. It's designed "to counter Canada's digital trade barriers targeting American streaming companies and content producers," he said in a news release. The bill is aimed at Canada's Online Streaming Act, which has been a trade irritant for the U.S. since it became law in 2023. Netflix is among the members of the Motion Picture Association who support the Republican bill targeting Canada's Online Streaming Act. The idea of forcing streamers to contribute funds toward Canadian content — sometimes dubbed the "Netflix tax" — has been kicked around in Ottawa for more than a decade.

Source: CBC News March 20, 2026 15:02 UTC