Source: Wall Street News
Author: Li Xiaoyin

With less than two months left until the inauguration, Trump's tariff hammer has 'intensified,' and Company Executives are actively lobbying, hoping for a softening of aggressive policies. However, insiders indicate that Trump is 'not listening to advice,' and it's best for companies to accept the reality that the tariff pledges will soon be implemented.

As the threat of tariffs from Trump escalates, Company Executives have started behind-the-scenes lobbying activities. Reports indicate that many large companies, including LG Electronics, have secretly hired professionals with government connections to help whisper in the ear of the new president at Congress and Mar-a-Lago, advising him to abandon radical tariff policies.

On December 15 local time, The Wall Street Journal published a report detailing how this phenomenon occurred.

It is well known that tariffs are at the core of Trump's economic policy and are one of his key promises during the election campaign. Trump had stated that he would impose a 20% tariff on all imported goods.

However, last month, Trump made another outrageous statement, pushing tariff policies to the extreme. He indicated on his Social Media platform that he would impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from Canada and Mexico, and even impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries including Brazil, India, and South Africa.

With less than two months until the inauguration, this radical statement from the wise king seems to have made things somewhat "out of control," prompting Company Executives to take action and lobby, hoping that tariff policies could be softened.

After all, the overall increase in tariffs affects not only Consumer goods prices but also causes a surge in costs for companies importing Commodities, exacerbating trade conflicts across multiple Industries on a Global scale.

Reports reveal that many large companies have secretly hired professionals with government connections to 'whisper in the ear' of the president at Congress and Mar-a-Lago, urging him to abandon the radical tariff policies.

For example, LG Electronics' US division hired the government relations firm Capitol Counsel, and the US semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries also employed the lobbying group Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies, both intending to lobby on trade and supply chain issues.

Considering Mexico's tariff policies, the wine and Beer manufacturer Constellation Brands also hired a consulting firm, hoping to convey to Trump the viewpoint that cross-border business is also important to American workers.

Is the radical tariff policy set in stone despite opposition?

But contrary to expectations, Trump's decisive and unilateral style often leads to other voices being shut out, even his closest professional team is no exception.

Insiders reveal that Trump's words and actions largely reflect 'my way or the highway', and before he made statements about tariffs on Social Media platforms, even his closest allies were not informed in advance, including his personally appointed next Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and Secretary of State Senator Rubio.

Sources indicate that when Trump publicly threatened tariffs on Mexico and Canada, Rubio received almost no notification.

A spokesperson for Bessent stated that the Treasury Secretary candidate is currently only involved in execution, not in decision-making, and usually engages in some routine communication with Trump regarding the USA's economy and geopolitical matters.

An advisor who has worked in Trump's first administration stated that Trump does not listen to advice at all, and it is best for major companies to accept the reality that the tariff vows will soon take effect.

Repeated failures to dissuade have left businesses at a loss, and they can currently only hope that the king's radical remarks are merely a diplomatic strategy not intended to be fully realized.

Trump's ally, Senator Tom Cotton, recently made remarks that might bring a "glimmer of hope" to businesses. At an event, Cotton suggested that Trump may take an open approach to negotiations with Canada and Mexico, and the tariff policy may be postponed.

Editor/rice