Did Quebec’s French-language laws derail Canada-US trade talks?

Yahoo.com ^ | Sun, August 23, 2026

[Cronos]

Washington views Quebec’s provincial language statutes—specifically Bill 96 (revising the Charter of the French Language) and Bill 109 (affirming cultural sovereignty and digital discoverability)—as unfair trade barriers and irritants that burden American companies.

Bill 96: Overhauls commercial and legal language use, requiring French labeling, product descriptions, warranties, and instruction manuals, alongside trademark translation adjustments for businesses.Bill 109: Targets digital platforms and streaming services (such as Netflix and Spotify), mandating that interfaces accommodate French configurations and allowing potential local content quotas.

The U.S. had issues with Canada's subsidies for French culture; the prevalence of French-language media online and even the requirement to have bilingual labels on products sold in Canada.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Canada; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:

[ifinnegan]

If you sell to say France or Germany aren’t there the same issues?

[yldstrk]

Be a wholesaler and let the buyer label the product.

[SteelPSUGOP]

Why are any companies selling to Canada required to sell in bother English and French, while delineating province by province. Business insanity north of the border. Canada pulls out and everyone (media) blames Trump……..hilarious.

[Salman]

The Canadian left is spinning this as Trump demanding the Quebecois give up French.

[qwerty1234]

not a big fan of Canada politics lately, but as far as Quebec’s enforcing a french-first policy I fully support that - it is one way they are trying not to lose their heritage. I particular like how immigrants cannot get any social services/welfare after a short period of time in the country if they have not bothered to learn the French.

Most right-thinking people in this country would want the same thing....I know I do.

[The Antiyuppie]

Whatever they are speaking in Quebec, it isn’t French, according to my friends from France.

[oldtech]

Whatever Canada decides to do ,it would made sense to me that their country should all speak the same language.I know that some areas are French(I’ve been there)but don’t most areas use English as a common language?

[qwerty1234]

my understanding is that the province of Quebec is french-first, and the rest of the provinces are english first.

In my experience just about anyone you meet in Quebec is fluent in both, and will quickly switch to english the second they realize you are not a native french speaker.

[FreedomPoster]

That was exactly my experience in Quebec City 8-10 years ago. And they were quite friendly. Having been to France a fair amount, it was off-putting when they often went from French to what I considered excellent American-accented English. In France, you’d get the English accent if their English was excellent. Which was much less often than in Quebec City.

I really liked Quebec City. We didn’t spend much time in Montreal, but I get the impression that QC is more down home, friendlier, and Montreal is more stuck on itself.

[butlerweave]

Have a child in Quebec you have to get approval from Quebec’s language police first for the name of that child ,LOL

[WhiteHatBobby0701]

Good one.

In Taiwan, during an East Asia Superleague pro basketball league game between teams in Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Philippines, the referees must communicate in English. It’s in the FIBA rule book.

And Quebec tries to interfere with international laws. You communicate with aircraft in English, not in local languages.

[Dr. Sivana]

Whatever they are speaking in Quebec, it isn’t French, according to my friends from France.

It is closer to the other way around. The Quebecers (except for some added words due to injuns, Canadian weather, etc) speak a French that is closer to pre-Revolutionary French than what is spoken in France today.

You have some thing similar with Yankee English vs. the Brit manner of speaking today.

Also, in both cases you have a snob element (French Academy, Brit Aristocracy) who define "the language" as how THEY use it. There are plenty of different dialects in place in both countries.

[existentially_kuffer]

>>>Have a child in Quebec you have to get approval from Quebec’s language police first for the name of that child ,LOL

So what’s the French word for Muhammad?

[existentially_kuffer]

You’re lucky you just didn’t run into a “Pro Quebecois” individual! French IS the only language!

[Scrambler Bob]

Parlee Vuuuu

And that word, Chic, does not mean a chick.

[canuck_conservative]

Whatever they are speaking in Quebec, it isn’t French, according to my friends from France

Mainly because a lot of stuck-up French citizens view Quebec as some kind of a "bastardized" French culture

France likes wine, soccer and Euro-pop music, while Quebec likes beer, hockey, and hard rock

The French say "les pommes de terre" (for potatoes), Quebecers say simply "les patates" (to give one language example)

(Montreal is always fun, and worth the visit - Vive la difference!)

[2nd Amendment]

Between cheese-eating surrender monkeys in the East and dopers in the far west, Whats B.C. and Alberta going to do?

[dfwgator]

Why are any companies selling to Canada required to sell in bother English and French,

You also have to write your insults in English and French

[NonValueAdded]

reminds me of that epic scene in Canadian Bacon with Dan Ackroyd.