Samsung wants to make sure it can keep producing and selling products in the US market without any problems from new laws imposed by the government. The Korean firm spent a total of $6.98 million through its subsidiary on lobbying the US government last year, according to data from OpenSecrets. While this may not sound good, it is a part of how business works for their benefit behind the scenes.
Samsung still spent less than Apple on lobbying the US government
Samsung has different business divisions in the US for several product categories. So, each division spent some money on lobbying. For instance, last year, Samsung Electronics America spent $5.45 million while Samsung Semiconductor spent $860,000. Meanwhile, Samsung SDI America spent $610,000 during the same period. Summing up all, Samsung’s total lobbying expenditures were $6.98 million in 2024.
While these amounts seem huge lobbying efforts, its competitor Apple spent a total of $7.82 million during the same period. So, Apple, which does a lot of business in the US, spent a huge amount on lobbying efforts.
Speaking of Samsung’s foundry rival, TSMC, it spent $3.01 million, which is significantly less than what Samsung spent. But this is understandable because TSMC is just a foundry company while Samsung is a conglomerate that sells many products like phones, tablets, TVs, and home appliances in the US.
While lobbying helps companies to influence the government’s policies and regulations, Samsung and other big companies are not safe from the Trump administration’s newly introduced US reciprocal tariffs. Samsung is now concerned about the future of its business, as it heavily depends on its global supply chain. The US tariffs could lead to increased prices for customers, potentially affecting its business.
As of now, Samsung is breathing a sigh of relief, at least in some market segments, such as smartphones and laptops. The Trump administration recently excluded these product categories from reciprocal tariffs. But whether this happened because of companies’ lobbying efforts, we don’t know. Still, Samsung might have to spend more this year as it fights to sustain its business in the US amid import tariffs.
