France Defends Digital Tax Effort, Promises to Work With U.S.

France’s Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire sought to reassure the U.S. its proposed digital tax is just a temporary fix as the country’s lawmakers began debate on the bill.

“It is unacceptable that this tax situation leads to the emergence of digital giants that buy, one by one, all our startups and kill innovation in our country,” Le Maire said April 8 as the National Assembly began considering a bill that would impose a 3 percent digital tax.

The bill would tax revenue large companies earn from certain digital activities, like targeted online advertising and “intermediary” platforms that ...