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NEW: I got a couple big FOIA requests back recently for correspondence between members of Congress and @USTradeRep about tariff exclusions. One thing jumped out: The lengths to which Polaris, a Minnesota maker of power sports vehicles, went to get itself off the hook. 1/
Last year, Polaris was looking at paying $90 million in tariffs. So it launched an aggressive campaign in D.C., involving powerful senators and representatives, who also received campaign donations. The lobbying even reached Sec. Mnuchin’s office at Treasury. 2/
The emails also show a cozy relationship between Polaris lobbyists and top USTR officials, who forwarded Polaris’ appeals on to their own higher ups. Polaris also reached out via Peter Navarro, who asked USTR& #39;s chief of staff for assistance. 3/
The effort paid off. Polaris got most of the exclusions it asked for in the biggest round of tariffs that were costing the most money, and they’re starting to roll in for the latest round as well. “We’re certainly more confident,” its CEO told investors late last year. 4/
Not everybody was so lucky, however. Hundreds of companies pleaded for help from their members of Congress, who then pressed their case with USTR -- only to have their requests denied. (I wrote about one of those companies earlier this year. https://www.propublica.org/article/how-trump-trade-war-is-making-lobbyists-rich-and-slamming-small-businesses">https://www.propublica.org/article/h... ) 5/
With tariffs still in place on ~$330b of imports from China, the fight for exclusions continues -- and now for the extension of exclusions already granted. It’s a heavy lift for companies that have been disproportionately affected, and one that many aren’t able to make. 6/
ANYWAY HERE& #39;S THE STORY: https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-one-huge-companys-mostly-successful-campaign-to-escape-trumps-tariffs">https://www.propublica.org/article/i...
Oh, and if you& #39;re the kind of person who loves reading reams of emails between staffers and agencies, the FOIAs are uploaded here. Lots and lots of companies featured.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6997908-USTR-FY20-72-Release-in-Part-Redacted.html
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents... href=" https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6997863-USTR-Congressional-correspondence-re-tariff.html">https://www.documentcloud.org/documents...
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6997908-USTR-FY20-72-Release-in-Part-Redacted.html
