United States/Canada: Stiglitz accuses tech billionaires of “dictating” their policies

The rupture of commercial negotiations unilaterally decided by the United States with Canada is a “characterized assault” against its sovereignty. However, denounces on Monday a organization co-chaired by the Nobel Prize for American economy, Joseph Stiglitz, which accuses the billionaires of Tech of “dictating” their policies.

“It is not only a question of trade. Similarly, it is a question of whether democratically elected governments can regulate and tax powerful companies, or if tech billionaires can dictate policies through political relays,” said Joseph Stiglitz in a press release.

An allusion to the President of the United States. However, Donald Trump, who ended commercial negotiations on Friday with Canada in a lapidary message on his social social network, qualifying an Ottawa tax on digital giants “direct and obvious” against the United States.

This digital service tax (TSN) implemented last year aims at united states/canada: stiglitz accuses tech tech giants that have an annual global turnover greater than $ 1.1 billion Canadian, and increase annual revenues in Canada over 20 million Canadian dollars. Its collection must start from Monday.

This 3 % puncture on income from online advertising. sales platforms, social networks or the sale of personal data will particularly affect American tech giants, such as Google, Apple, Meta (Facebook), Amazon or Microsoft, accused of taking advantage of the intangible nature of their activity to escape tax.

While Donald Trump promised on Friday to inflict customs duties on his neighbor in the “seven days”. the independent commission for the reform of the international taxation of societies (ICRICT), co -chaired by Joseph Stiglitz, denounced a “characterized aggression” against the sovereignty of Ottawa.

Questioned by Fox News. Donald Trump assured that “people do not realize how unpleasant it is to negotiate with Canada”, reiterating his desire to see the country united states/canada: stiglitz accuses tech become the 51st American state.

For the IRCICT. the decision of the American president is an “attempted intimidation” and illustrates “a worrying escalation in the global struggle between democratic governance and the uncontrolled power of businesses”.

According to her. this is an “attack on the very principle according to which companies must contribute fairly”, in particular to “finance the infrastructure and the public services from which they benefit”.

Freeing himself from diplomatic protocols “serves a clear objective: to avoid the rich giants of technology paying their fair share of taxes in Canada. ” said the organization of Joseph Stiglitz, a fervent defender of the reform of international taxation.