President Donald Trump's trade war is causing economic problems for American manufacturers, farmers, energy producers, big box stores, small businesses, investors, and consumers.
But there is one industry that's prospering due to tariffs: Lobbying firms in Washington, D.C.
Lobbying expenditures on trade issues were a staggering 277 percent higher in the first quarter of 2025 than in the first quarter of 2024, according to data reported to the clerk of the House of Representatives and compiled by Advancing American Freedom Foundation, a conservative nonprofit. In raw dollars, lobbying firms reported spending $4.9 million on trade-related issues in the first three months of this year, up from $1.3 million during the same three months in 2024.
