Spurred on by the prospect of President Trump’s newly imposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, lobbying from the steel production industry ticked up 31 percent in the first quarter of 2018 over the same period last year.

The tariffs, implemented in March with the purpose of revitalizing the American steel industry, faced harsh domestic and international scrutiny as critics feared the implications of a trade war.

The $3.4 million spent on lobbying in the first three months of 2018 marks the most steel producers have devoted to lobbying in a quarter since Congress began tracking quarterly reports in 2008. The steel industry, once a behemoth of American business, has faced a dramatic decline in power and influence over the last few decades.

In response to Trump, China slapped tariffs on $50 billion of U.S. exports, targeting farmers who have come to rely on the nation as the top consumer of American farm products.

Lobbying on behalf of the crop production and basic processing industry increased by $1.3 million, or 23 percent, in the first quarter over the same period a year ago — also the highest quarterly spending since 2008.

First-quarter lobbying growth for Republican and conservative-leaning ideological groups far outpaced that of any other industry, however, spiking 75 percent from last quarter to just under $1.2 million between January and March.

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Such groups spent on average just $366,000 per quarter over the last five years, and the $670,000 spent between October and December of 2017 had previously made it the industry’s most expensive quarter. Top lobbying clients so far in 2018 include the American Conservative Union, FreedomWorks and Heritage Action for America.

Overall, eight of the 10 organizations that spent the most on federal lobbying in 2017 remained in the top ten for the first quarter.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Realtors retained the top two spots at $23.1 million and $13.1 million, respectively, followed by the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America, the American Medical Association and Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

The $3.37 billion spent on federal lobbying last year was up 7 percent from 2016 after declines in spending five of the previous six years. The number of registered lobbyists in 2017 also increased for the first time in ten years.

In the first quarter of 2018, the number of registered lobbyists was down from the final three months of 2017 — from 10,301 to 9,443. The final tally will likely rise, however, due to late filers.



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