Latest news with #lobbyists
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Foreign governments bet big to lobby Trump on tariffs. Most came up empty.
Countries across the globe have dropped tens of millions this year on lobbyists with ties to President Donald Trump as they rushed to stave off tariffs that could cripple their economies. In most cases, the spending has gotten them nowhere. As Trump has taken a scattershot approach to setting tariff rates — crafting trade agreements that set a 15 percent tariff on major trading partners while imposing rates that vary between 10 and 41 percent on the rest of the world — traditional lobbying tactics in Washington appear to have had little influence. At least 30 nations hired new lobbyists with connections to Trump since the election. They include major trading partners like South Korea and Japan as well as smaller countries like Bosnia and Ecuador. But employing those lobbyists appeared to bear little relation to whether the countries were able to avoid the most punishing tariffs. 'I think the current leadership in Washington seems to be disrupting the traditional way of doing things. It's not just about the business part, it's about diplomacy, it's about dealing with other nations,' said Mukesh Aghi, the CEO of the U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum. 'I think the whole old model of trying to influence does not seem to work.' The new model is punishing India. After bringing longtime Trump adviser Jason Miller on board in April, the nation has nonetheless been walloped by Trump over the past two weeks. Tariffs for India are now set to rise to 50 percent, after the country failed to secure a trade agreement and Trump decided to jack up tariffs in response to its purchase of Russian oil. India inked a yearlong contract with Miller worth $1.8 million in exchange for 'strategic counsel, tactical planning and government relations assistance' as well as perception management and public relations, according to documents filed with the Justice Department. He did not respond to a request for comment. The experiences of Canada and Mexico stand out. Canada's provinces stocked up on lobbyists and the country has still been hammered by Trump. Mexico didn't and relied instead on President Claudia Sheinbaum's personal relationship with Trump — a direct approach that worked better. Five of Canada's 10 provinces brought on new lobbying or public relations help in the last year, amid a federal leadership vacuum as the country prepared to elect a new prime minister. Capitol Counsel lobbyists representing Ontario and Alberta set up meetings and calls for provincial officials with more than a dozen Republican members of Congress as well as Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. Meanwhile, lobbyists at HBW Resources worked to create inroads with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry on behalf of energy-heavy Saskatchewan and Alberta, DOJ filings show. In February, a federation of Canadian premiers and territorial leaders hired Checkmate Government Relations for assistance arranging a trade mission to Washington. The firm is led by Ches McDowell, a hunting buddy of Donald Trump Jr., and employs the son of Trump's 2024 campaign co-chair. For $85,000, Checkmate got the premiers a meeting at the White House with deputy chief of staff James Blair and director of presidential personnel Sergio Gor. Less than a month later, Canada's D.C. Embassy hired the public affairs firm Signal Group for a crash course and media training on messaging on right-wing media. It included a 'right-wing message analysis' of the Canadian ambassador's recent TV interviews and breakdown of Maslow's hierarchy of needs for the MAGA set. Mexico, by contrast, has just a single lobbying firm, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, on retainer, to provide legal services on trade issues. Yet despite Mexico playing a more direct role in the flow of fentanyl — a top concern of Trump — it was the neighbor to the north that ultimately faced steeper tariffs. Canada now has a 35 percent tariff on its goods, while Mexico has stayed at 25 percent, even though most products are exempt under an existing free trade agreement. Mexico appeared to benefit from what one Mexican official described as personal ties between Trump and Sheinbaum. A Republican lobbyist working on Trump's tariffs suggested that making headway with the president requires a shift in thinking. 'I think what's happened with some of these countries is they felt entitled to the status quo,' the lobbyist argued. 'And they were offended that anyone, even the U.S. president, would suggest changing it at all.' The lobbyist pointed to the success that Sheinbaum has had in wooing Trump. Instead of taking a combative stand, 'the better approach is to look at it from the perspective of: The president wants to redefine the trade relationship between the two countries, and that's his goal, and you have to deal with him on those terms,' the person said. Leader-to-leader calls were particularly valuable in helping countries make their case directly to Trump. 'From my perspective, the best way to lobby President Trump is for the leader to face-to-face lobby him,' Tami Overby, a partner at DGA Group Government who focuses on trade in South Korea. 'It seems President Trump, he always talks about his relationships with other leaders. You know, whether we're in a good spot with that country or not [depending] if he feels like he's got a good relationship. And he sees himself as a deal maker.' Many of the firms enlisted to represent foreign governments before the Trump administration are mainstays of the D.C. lobbying scene, and plenty of countries already had veteran trade lobbyists or lobbyists with ties to Trump on their payrolls before the election. They include Mercury Public Affairs, the former K Street home of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles which signed five new foreign governments since November, including South Korea, Ecuador and Libya. And while South Korea reached an agreement with the White House to set its tariffs to 15 percent in exchange for investments in the U.S. and lower trade barriers, tariff rates increased between April and August for both Ecuador and Libya. In Ecuador's case, it went from being ignored in Trump's first threats of 'reciprocal' tariffs, to facing a 15 percent tariff in August. Mercury also lobbies for the Japanese government, which maintains a roster of more than two dozen lobbying and public relations firms in the U.S. Japan was among the first major trading partners to strike a trade agreement — setting its tariffs at 15 percent, down from a threatened 25 percent. Ballard Partners, the previous home to Wiles and Attorney General Pam Bondi, helped broker a phone call between Trump and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba the day after the election, according to documents filed with DOJ under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Another Trump-linked lobbying firm, BGR Group, has signed six new foreign governments since Trump's win last year. It previously employed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and is home to Trump adviser David Urban. Some of its foreign clients, like Angola and South Korea, saw their tariff rates drop between April and August. But the firm also lobbies for the Indian government, which paid BGR $300,000 from December through May, though much of that work was related to flaring tensions with Pakistan. Several Southeast Asian economies that have hired help in Washington fared better, with many of them receiving lower rates compared to the initial duties unveiled in April. Their wins were relative, though: The countries' tariff rates are higher than before, and broadly higher than much of the world. In other words, lobbyists might have succeeded in helping their clients avoid the worst case, but the outcomes could hardly be considered triumphs. Countries hired U.S.-based lobbying firms to strengthen ties with the Trump administration, and worked with business groups with ties to lower-level Trump administration officials across the Departments of Commerce and Treasury. Cambodia and Indonesia had their tariff cut to 19 percent, substantially lower compared to rates initially outlined by the president in April. DOJ filings show that Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld reached out to U.S. Trade Representative's Office chief of staff Sam Mulopulos on behalf of the Cambodian government on the same day that Trump announced his so-called reciprocal tariffs. The firm sent Mulopulos multiple follow-up texts over the next few months to coordinate meetings with Cambodia's negotiators and check for updates on the status of tariff negotiations, and organized meetings on the Hill with lawmakers including Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), according to the filings. In the end, Cambodia saw one of the largest tariff rate declines of any country between April and May, dropping from a threatened 49 percent duty. The Trump administration for its part has portrayed the countries with the most significant declines as cooperative partners that were willing to make the greatest concessions to the president's terms. One former diplomat who worked with governments across Southeast Asia said representatives from Vietnam arranged more than two dozen meetings with government officials, which ramped up days after Trump outlined his April rates. The country secured a modest win as its tariff rate was cut from 46 to 20 percent — though the final figure remains higher than what Vietnam officials say was originally agreed to. One Asian diplomat credited lobbying efforts by countries in the region with helping shift the Trump administration away from its original trade strategy, which aimed to pull regional economies out of China's orbit and prioritize crackdowns on Chinese transshipment and other enforcement measures. 'Some countries need the access that lobbyists can give and an intermediary for backdoor and informal talks,' they said. A number of countries turned to first-time foreign lobbyists who are cashing in on their ties to Trump or his circle. The Pakistani government brought on seven new lobbying firms this year, including Trump's former bodyman Keith Schiller and George Sorial, the Trump Organization's former compliance chief. Neither of them had ever registered as foreign agents before, but Pakistan agreed to pay their firm $50,000 per month, according to a copy of the contract filed with DOJ. Islamabad managed to have its 'reciprocal' tariff rate lowered from 29 percent to 19 percent — a contrast to Pakistan's rival next door, India. Among the foreign governments that signed Continental Strategy this spring were Guyana — which is paying the firm $50,000 per month and saw its tariff rate plunge from 38 percent in April to 15 percent in August — and Japan, which is paying the firm $37,500, DOJ filings show. Continental Strategy is led by Carlos Trujillo, a diplomat who served in Trump's first administration, and Alberto Martinez, a top former aide to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Some countries and industries that have been successful in swaying Trump have later had those advantages neutralized. The 'Big Three' American auto companies — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — helped convince the administration to create a rebate program, aiding auto producers that rely on the North American supply chain. But as Trump set about crafting trade deals, that advantage was quickly neutralized. Japan, South Korea and the European Union — all trading partners with large auto industries — were able to secure a 15 percent tariff on cars and car parts, undermining the efforts of U.S. automakers to build domestically. Even after this week's tariff implementation kickoff, countries and lobbyists are still holding out hope that they can win exceptions or other helpful provisions. That possibility is sure to keep business booming on K Street, despite its lackluster performance. 'A lot of clients are like, 'Well, is it done? Can we still get our thing in there?'' the Republican lobbyist noted. 'The framework is there, but there's still a lot of blank spaces, and that's where we're seeing a lot of activity.
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Chinese Drone Maker DJI Shut Out of Washington With US Market at Risk
Chinese-owned and operated DJI Technologies is up against an end-of-year deadline to keep its US business alive, and the drone maker is struggling to get anyone in Washington to listen. The company, which controls over 70% of the domestic commercial market in the US, has hired a small army of lobbyists and recently dispatched an Australia-based executive to Washington to address a looming ban on their technology. But DJI says emails and calls are going unanswered and they're running out of time.
Wall Street Journal
5 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
MAGA Antitrust Agenda Under Siege by Lobbyists Close to Trump
The second Trump administration seemed poised to deliver on MAGA's embrace of aggressive antitrust enforcement. Instead, those efforts have run headlong into power brokers with close ties to President Trump who have snatched up lucrative assignments helping companies facing antitrust threats. The injection of politically-connected lobbyists and lawyers into antitrust investigations is a shift in an arena that for decades was a niche area dominated by specialized lawyers and economists.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Lobbyists have spent over $2M on TV ads in Palm Beach hoping to catch Trump's attention at Mar-a-Lago
Lobbyists in Florida have spent around $2 million on cable TV ads in the Palm Beach area in an apparent attempt to catch the attention of Donald Trump. The president is known to be an avid television watcher, both at home at his Mar-a-Lago residence and during trips to his multiple golf clubs for tournaments. Analysis of advertising data from AdImpact showed the immense amount of cash being focussed on advertising in West Palm Beach, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that the strategy is often referred to by interest groups as targeting an 'audience of one.' A total of $3.1 million had been spent in the market in the first four months of 2025, compared to $629,000 in the same timeframe in 2023 and $183,000 in 2021, according to the data. AdImpact notes that cable makes up 69 percent of the spending (just over $2 million), likely targeting the local Fox News cable networks – the president's favored outlet. Both the Journal and Palm Beach Post cite commercials, including one which includes a clip of the president promising cures to cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The ad is produced by a group with ties to the pharmaceutical industry that are trying to lobby Trump to overturn pricing policy implemented by the Biden administration. Another, produced by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation – noted to be one of the top advertisers in West Palm Beach – is more direct. 'Mr President. Together we can drive innovation and American manufacturing. Let's do it,' the ad reads. John Bozzella, the president of the AAI, told the Journal that the commercial was really 'intended to reintroduce the new administration to the country's largest manufacturing sector.' On a wider scale, WSJ analysis also showed that since Trump's return to the Oval Office in January, more than a dozen groups pushing national issues had bought broadcast and cable ads only in Washington, D.C., and West Palm Beach, according to AdImpact. The data shows that overall spending on Fox News has surged in 2025, as advertisers hope to reach Trump's eyes on the network. Through April, Fox News has seen $19.0 million in national spending, representing 69 percent of all national network spending. The surge in activity in the West Palm Beach market since the president's return to office means that the area now ranks third among national-issue advertising markets, ahead of much larger metro-centers such as Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago. By contrast, before Trump's return and during the 2024 presidential election, West Palm Beach ranked 40th on the list of areas targeted for national issues-based advertising.
Irish Times
02-08-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
How much do landlords in Ireland really earn? You might be surprised
How much do landlords in Ireland actually earn? To listen to the many lobbying groups who dominate the property sector in Ireland, the answer is not nearly enough to compensate for all the regulations and bureaucratic hurdles they face. This, it is argued, explains what is often characterised as the ' mass exodus ' from the private rental sector although the number of registered landlords has actually increased in recent years . More than 80 per cent of Irish landlords have one or two tenancies and, we're frequently told, are mostly ordinary people whose livelihoods depend on rental income. This narrative suggests landlords are mere, to use the international term, 'mom-and-pop' investors who are 'struggling' or 'earning pin money' (an argument used by short-term let lobbyists as well). Or they are 'accidental landlords', sometimes represented as almost victims of the housing crisis themselves. This is not borne out by the data. The reality internationally, as well as in Ireland, is that small landlords have higher household income and wealth levels. Here, data made available on request from the CSO's 2024 Survey on Income and Living Conditions shows that the gross household income of those with a rental income from a second property or rent-a-room is €133,800, or 85 per cent higher than households without a rental income, who earn €72,500. And their net income is 56 per cent higher. READ MORE Average income premium of households with rental income At the other end of the scale, Ireland's largest landlord, Ires Reit , averaged €21,768 rental income per annum from each of its 3,668 units in 2024. And it was able to shelter all this income from tax via a special company structure . The reason such narratives continue to be so pervasive is partly down to the effectiveness of several large lobbying groups that dominate the property sector in Ireland. Representing professional bodies, there's the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers and the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland . Ireland's small landlords are represented by the Irish Property Owners' Association. Property Industry Ireland is part of Ibec . Irish Institutional Property represents large landlords and is run by a former secretary general of Fianna Fáil and senator, Pat Farrell . Influencing policy since 1935 is the Construction Industry Federation, which was recently in the headlines after a terrace it owned in Dublin 6 partly collapsed . It was run for many years run by a former Progressive Democrats minister, Tom Parlon. Banking and Payments Federation Ireland is run by a former Fine Gael minister, Brian Hayes, and Airbnb is represented by a former Labour TD, Derek Nolan. All the former politicians have unfettered entry to Leinster House, allowing what Róisin Shortall called ' undue access ' to Ministers and influential politicians. Other groups peddle policy ideas mostly imported from elsewhere. Progress Ireland, which recently proposed garden cabins without planning permission as housing, was reportedly offered a meeting with senior Government advisers less than 24 hours after sending an email to Micheál Martin 's office. There is an obvious irony here: lobbying bodies demand " policy certainty " and stability for their members, and yet it is their function to lobby for policy change. Certainty and stability for developers is coincidentally mentioned in 2021's Housing for All policy, after which the Government went on to make numerous industry-friendly changes, including restricting access to judicial review and introducing inferior apartment standards - changes for which the Minister for Housing James Browne can unfortunately provide no credible evidence . This is not a uniquely Irish phenomenon. As nations' economies globalise, so too has the reach of international property money and its lobbyists. In the private rented sector internationally, global investors were enticed back post 2008 by tax-free rental income and the promise of significant profits. As housing for sale and mortgage credit dried up, the private rented sector became the tenure of necessity and grew significantly. Calls for meaningful changes to the sector to allow for it to become a better option for tenants were and are strenuously resisted everywhere. What is interesting about resistance to change is the consistency of narratives across countries. Research from Sweden's Uppsala University show three main arguments appear repeatedly: the 'vulnerable landlord', the 'counterproductive effects' and the 'violation of property rights'. This is a lobbying playbook. We've seen how the vulnerable landlord argument works in Ireland. The counter-productive effects argument claims that pro-tenant measures ultimately harm tenants by disincentivising rental housing supply and maintenance. This claim works on the basis that there is perfect competition in the housing market and that all other factors remain equal, what economists call ceteris paribus . But there's little competition in housing markets due to the fact that the supply of market land is limited and also privately owned, and other factors such as demand and interest rates are always changing, so nothing remains equal. Property lobbyists and right-of-centre politicians argue that the problem of high rents can be solved by expanding the supply of private rental housing. The logic is that high rental prices stimulate new supply, which will eventually lower rents. This sounds very familiar. Even if you ignore the interim financial pain of rising rents for existing tenants, this argument is ropey. Whereas rising prices may make the construction of housing for sale or rent more attractive, rising prices also make waiting around, or hoarding, just as attractive (as does increasing the density of housing). Owners of valuable land, who are unsurprisingly keen to extract the most profit from it, will not necessarily crystallise their risk by commencing construction, and so will not necessarily supply housing any faster. There is currently permission granted for about 70,000 new houses and apartments nationally that are lying around not commenced. As land prices rise, a natural brake is applied to new housing supply. The third argument found internationally concerns the violation of property rights. Such absolutist views ignore the social function of property. This violation-of-rights argument was recently deployed by a landlord who illegally evicted a tenant, saying at the Residential Tenancies Board hearing that ' no external authority may dictate his housing decisions '. The RTB disagreed. No matter what measure is proposed – tenants' rights, changes to planning rules or regulations – the playbook of counter arguments is automatically mobilised. There is little detailed critiquing of individual proposals. Instead, we're offered off-the-shelf responses driven by ideology, entrenched beliefs, and profits. The real contest here is between the needs of the market and the needs of society. This permanent tension is going to arise when a Government's strategic approach - as is there case here - is to rely on the market for the supply of most of its housing, private and public. Dr Lorcan Sirr lectures in housing at Technological University Dublin
