U.S. trade officials have downplayed the French controversy and said the claims are fabricated.
Published August 27, 2026
Canada’s top trade negotiator with the United States, Dominic LeBlanc, said he “welcomes” the change in the U.S. position on “discoverability,” “labeling,” and “measures promoting the French language and Canadian culture” that are exempt from U.S. tariffs.
LeBlanc praised the move in a post on X on Thursday, adding that Canada “looks forward to further constructive clarification from the United States on other positions that would create the potential for a mutually beneficial trade agreement.”
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Al Jazeera reached out to the White House for comment, but the paper pointed to an interview with U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer on Canadian broadcaster CBC, in which he said “it’s not something we’re going to push, we’re not going to put conditions on, we’re not going to put any red lines” on the discoverability of French on streaming services.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick echoed those comments Thursday at a press conference outside the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
“Do I care how Quebecers speak? I mean, what is less important to America? We don’t care. So, the truth is, we’ve never brought those words up. This was fabricated, and that’s why the president announced[the Truth Social post]as a complete lie, right? It was fabricated,” Lutnick told reporters.
The comments came on the heels of retaliatory tariffs between Washington and Ottawa.
Canada has announced retaliatory tariffs of 15% to 50% on approximately $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, scheduled to take effect on September 8th. These tariffs were in response to a 50% tariff on Canadian products announced by the U.S. government after negotiations broke down last weekend.
U.S. President Donald Trump has become increasingly vocal about Canada in recent days, including signing an executive order on Thursday to change the name of Lake Ontario, at the eastern end of the Great Lakes bordering Ontario, to Lake America.
On Saturday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said U.S. authorities pose a threat to Canadian and Quebec culture in particular, as well as a “threat to the French language.”
Canada’s retaliatory tariffs will affect hundreds of consumer products, including ice skates, dishwashers and building materials. But on Wednesday, Ottawa rolled back some tariffs, including those on fish and other seafood products.
In a post to
“We continue to work with Canadian industry to assess the effectiveness of these measures, with a primary focus on industries that are subject to U.S. tariffs.”
