Lobbying spending surges 337% in Washington amid Trump's tariff policy, new report finds

With President Donald Trump keeping tariffs at the centre of his trade agenda, American businesses are spending far more on lobbying in Washington. The finding comes from a new report by Advancing American Freedom (AAF), the group of former Vice President Mike Pence.

Rachel Greszler, who authored the report, said companies are paying lobbyists to seek exemptions from tariffs instead of using that money to grow their businesses, hire workers or raise wages.

According to the report, mentions of tariffs in lobbying disclosures rose 239% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in 2024. Total spending reported on those filings jumped 337%, though it may include lobbying on issues beyond tariffs.

Fourteen organizations spent more than $1 million on lobbying in the third quarter, up from just two in the same quarter of 2024. Another 105 spent more than $100,000, compared with 26 two years earlier.

‘Affordability is top of mind for many Americans,’ Greszler said, arguing that changing tariffs are raising costs, threatening jobs and squeezing paychecks.

Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York estimated that tariffs added 2.9 percentage points to prices across the consumer goods they studied, including imported and US-made products.

A separate AAF analysis estimated tariffs resulted in about 75,000 fewer manufacturing jobs in their first year and up to 1 million fewer jobs nationwide than would have been expected under pre-tariff trends. The group said manufacturing was among the hardest-hit sectors, despite being a central target of the administration's effort to bring factory work back.

The group also said US trade with Canada fell by $50 billion, or 6.5%, before the latest round of Section 338 tariffs took effect. During that period, imports from other countries rose instead of US manufacturing expanding.

Greszler warned that small businesses unable to afford lobbyists to seek tariff exclusions could be forced to scale back or close.

Trump has defended tariffs, arguing they will strengthen US manufacturing and bring jobs and investment back to the country. The White House has also said foreign exporters will ultimately bear the cost.

As the administration continues to reshape trade policy, businesses will have to decide whether to keep spending on lobbyists and tariff planning or delay investments, hiring and expansion until the rules become clearer.