Industries
A Gunmaker’s Lobbying Shows How Trump’s Tariffs Changed the Game
Firms close to the administration have seen a surge in revenue as they advise businesses on how to avoid the import duties and play ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ in Trump's Washington
Brian Ballard
Photographer: Jason Andrew/BloombergWhen President Donald Trump slapped a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports this summer, executives at Taurus Holdings Inc. did what many others have done: They turned to a Trump-aligned lobbyist named Brian Ballard.
Taurus makes handguns and rifles, marketing itself as “the industry’s undisputed price leader.” It exports most of its products from Brazil to the US. So a tariff-generated price hike of 50% for American buyers loomed as an existential threat, and the company needed help in Washington.