Retailers Turn To K Street To Save Christmas

President Donald Trump’s move to slap tariffs on imports from around the globe may have been a lump of coal for purveyors of Christmas cheer, but the scramble to roll those tariffs back has been a huge gift for K Street.

Trade groups and companies representing manufacturers and retailers of everything from Christmas trees and decor to toys and spices — like virtually every other sector of the economy — have bolstered their lobbying operations in D.C., dropping massive sums as they jockeyed for tariff relief.

Lobbying outlays by the Toy Association — which in April warned of devastation for toymakers if an initial 145 percent tariff on Chinese imports were to stand — skyrocketed to $510,000 through the first nine months of the year. That’s up from $40,000 in all of 2024 and the most spent since 2015. In preparation for Trump’s tariffs, the association brought on Ballard Partners last December for guidance on the matter, lobbying disclosures show.

The association also retained its former top lobbyist Ed Desmond at the beginning of the year, and in February the Toy Association brought on Ridgeline Advocacy Group to work on a number of issues in addition to the tariffs, including consumer protection, sustainability and taxes.

Agreements between Beijing and Washington gradually lowered tariffs on Chinese toy imports to 20 percent by the end of the year. But toymakers are closely tracking the Supreme Court decision on Trump’s so-called reciprocal tariffs and the prospect of seeing tariff payments refunded.

Trump’s tariffs have prompted some holiday brands to turn to K Street for the first time. They include the Christmas Trade Group, a coalition of holiday retailers like the ornament and decor purveyors Kurt Adler and Old World Christmas, and artificial tree makers National Tree Company and Puleo. The coalition also includes holiday florists, lighting companies and even one commercial decorator whose portfolio includes the Trump International Hotel in New York.

The trade group has paid Williams & Jensen $90,000 since March to build ties with the Trump administration and lawmakers on the key congressional committees that oversee trade. It has also lobbied for an exemption on products like Christmas lights similar to the one issued during Trump’s first administration.

Artificial tree behemoth Balsam Brands, meanwhile, has spent $210,000 on lobbying through the first three quarters of the year — including $110,000 in Q3 alone. That’s less than the $420,000 Balsam Brands spent in 2019, but is the most by far for the company since the end of its three-year lobbying hiatus in 2023.

One sector that plays a huge role during the holidays has managed to win targeted relief from tariffs. Following November’s elections, which highlighted the extent of voter concerns about the cost of living, Trump rolled back tariffs on dozens of food products, including spices whose production manufacturers had argued were virtually impossible to shift to the U.S.

“Many essential spices, including cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla, require tropical conditions and cannot be cultivated domestically on a commercial scale,” Laura Shumow, executive director of the American Spice Trade Association, said in a statement last month. “Tariffs on these products do not stimulate U.S. production, create American jobs, or lower costs for working families.” She added that the reprieve was the result of months of conversations with administration officials.

Before this year, ASTA had not lobbied at the federal level since 2011, according to disclosure filings. But the trade group in May hired veteran food and ag lobbyist Shannon Campagna of Portfolio Strategies, to whom ASTA has shelled out $40,000.

Seasoning giant McCormick & Co. also leaned on K Street this year, registering in-house lobbyists for the first time in February to work on tariffs, taxes and food regulation issues. Over the summer, McCormick retained one of its old outside lobbyists, Pat Raffaniello, and a little over a month before Trump’s executive order, the company hired the Trump-tied firm Continental Strategy. Through the first three quarters of the year, McCormick has reported $200,000 in lobbying expenditures.

Beyond the producers of holiday decor and goods, the retailers that sell those products have been some of the most vocal tariff critics in Washington this year. The National Retail Federation, whose members include Walmart, Target and Macy’s, is on track for its second-highest lobbying expenditures ever. NRF has dropped more than $8.5 million on lobbying so far this year, already more than the $8.3 million spent in all of 2024.