Government lobbying by countries and companies is a matter of routine in Washington. The cabal of lobbyists is highly rewarded for ensuring that the interests of their clients are protected before the world's economic superpower.

It's no surprise, then, that Samsung joins other major tech companies in lobbying efforts. Data from OpenSecrets, a research group that tracks money flowing into US politics, indicates that Samsung spent $5.45 million on lobbying the US government just last year.

Samsung Electronics America spent a total of $5.45 million on lobbying efforts in 2024. Other Samsung firms engaged lobbyists as well, with Samsung Semiconductor spending $860,000 and Samsung SDI America spending $610,000. The total lobbying spend for the Samsung conglomerate came in at $6.98 million.

If that seems high, a little perspective will help clear things up. Apple spent $7.82 million on its lobbying efforts in 2024. In comparison, the total spend for all Samsung companies combined was still lower than what Apple spent to protect and promote its interests.

Samsung's spend is more than double that of TSMC, its main foundry rival, which spent $3.01 million. That difference is easily explained by the fact that TSMC is just in the business of making chips and doesn't sell consumer products. Samsung is a vast conglomerate which many business units that directly sell products like home appliances, mobile devices, TVs, computers, and more to consumers in the United States.

It has a more significant exposure to trade policies, including tariffs, that would significantly impact the business. So it makes sense that Samsung would retain a comparatively higher lobbying spend than TSMC.