John Sununu’s Lobbying Firm Advocated for Tariff Relief for Corporations

Sununu’s Lobbying Efforts for Tariff Relief Under Scrutiny

Former New Hampshire Senator John Sununu’s post-political career involved work for a lobbying firm that advocated for tariff relief on behalf of large corporations.

Tariffs, which are essentially taxes on imported goods, are typically paid by American importers. This cost is often transferred to consumers, resulting in higher product prices. The imposition of tariffs is at the discretion of the federal government, which can target specific products or countries.

Corporations have the option to request tariff relief from the government. This relief can come in the form of exemptions, refunds, or reduced tariff rates. Nonetheless, the financial benefits from such relief rarely trickle down to consumers, who continue to bear inflated prices due to tariffs.

Sununu, after his Senate term ended in 2009, joined the Akin Group. From 2010 to 2016, this firm received $760,000 to advocate for the Tariff Action Coalition, a conglomerate of companies pursuing over $20 million in tariff relief. This coalition included major companies such as Bayer, Honeywell International, and Syngenta.

While it remains uncertain if Sununu was directly involved with the Tariff Action Coalition, he mentioned to Fox News last year that his experiences in the private sector had equipped him with insights into managing the “tariff situation.”

President Donald Trump’s broad imposition of tariffs on various nations and goods has led to a significant increase in retail prices. While Sununu has suggested that Trump should engage Congress more on tariff policies, he has also described the President’s strategy as “very fair.”

In a significant legal development, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned some of Trump’s tariffs last year, requiring the government to refund $166 billion in collected duties. While large corporations received most of these refunds, smaller businesses and consumers saw little to no benefit.

When questioned by WMUR in March about the appropriate recipients of tariff refunds, Sununu did not provide a definitive answer.

Sununu stated, “I don’t have a legal answer to that question. It should go to whoever paid it. It should be done in a simple, clear, effective way. It is a bit of a mess. There’s no question about that. But I think given today’s computerized systems, the way it was paid, there ought to be a pretty straightforward way to pay it back.”

This year, Sununu is aiming to make a comeback to the Senate, facing Democratic contender Rep. Chris Pappas.