The Tariff Landscape in April 2026
The scope of Trump's second-term tariff regime is unprecedented in modern history. Since February 2026, the administration has imposed:
- A 10% baseline import surcharge on virtually all imports (February 20, 2026)
- Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper, and other metals
- Country-specific tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, and the EU
- A complex system of exemptions, refunds, and “tariff stacking” that has created massive uncertainty
The result: an enormous incentive for every affected industry to hire lobbyists. When a single tariff exemption can save a company millions (or billions), the ROI on lobbying becomes astronomical.
Who's Lobbying Hardest
The tariff lobbying surge is coming from every direction — but some industries are fighting harder than others:
Big Three lobbying for USMCA exemptions; tariffs threaten cross-border supply chains
New coalition formed April 2026 to lobby on Section 232 copper tariffs
Retaliatory tariffs from China/EU hitting exports; farm lobby in full mobilization
Import surcharge hitting margins; NRF and trade associations lobbying for exemptions
Consumer electronics, semiconductors, and component imports affected
Manufacturers who use imported metals pushing for downstream exemptions
The Exemption Economy
Perhaps the most consequential aspect of the tariff regime is the exemption and refund process. POLITICO reported on April 13 that Trump's “refund rollout” is leaving many companies out — creating winners and losers based on who has the best lobbyists rather than the best business case.
This is the tariff lobbying playbook: companies that can't get an across-the-board exemption for their industry lobby for product-specific carve-outs. Companies that can't get product carve-outs lobby for refund eligibility. Companies that can't get refunds lobby for delayed implementation dates. Every layer of the tariff regime creates a new lobbying opportunity.
New Entrants: First-Time Lobbyers
One of the most striking effects of the tariff regime is how many companies and industries are lobbying Washington for the first time. The copper fabricators' new coalition — formed just this month — is a perfect example. These are companies that never needed a Washington presence before. Now tariffs are an existential threat, and hiring a lobbyist is a survival strategy.
Our first-time filers analysis found nearly 7,000 organizations that filed lobbying disclosures for the first time in 2025. Trade issues were a major driver — and 2026 is on pace to break that record as the tariff regime expands.
The Legal Front
Lobbying isn't the only tool companies are using. As of April 10, 2026, the Court of International Trade heard oral arguments in Oregon v. Trump and Burlap & Barrel, Inc. — cases challenging the president's authority to impose tariffs under IEEPA (the International Emergency Economic Powers Act). If the courts strike down some tariffs, the lobbying landscape shifts dramatically.
Smart companies are doing both: lobbying for exemptions while simultaneously funding legal challenges. It's a belt-and-suspenders approach to a tariff regime that has created more uncertainty than any trade policy in decades.
What the Data Will Show
Our 2025 tariff lobbying analysis already showed trade-related lobbying surging as tariffs returned. The Q1 2026 filings (due April 20) will capture the full impact of the February import surcharge and the ongoing exemption battles.
We expect to see: massive increases in filings listing TRD (Trade) as a primary issue code, new lobbying registrations from industries that never lobbied before, and a spike in overall spending as companies calculate that a few hundred thousand in lobbying fees is nothing compared to millions in tariff costs.
In Trump's trade war, the real winners aren't the industries that get protected — they're the K Street firms collecting fees from everyone scrambling for an exemption.
Explore the Data
See which industries are lobbying on trade and tariff issues.