Trade associations

Framing

Trade associations exist to brief policymakers and members with defensible numbers. When the policy environment is moving fast, the in-house economics function is often stretched. Industry-wide tariff exposure, supply chain resilience, energy buildout, and labor market analytics are the kind of work that benefits from external rigor and a single signature, especially when the result will be cited in Hill testimony or a member-only briefing.

The consultancy works with trade associations in two modes: white-label preparation of an industry-wide brief that the association then publishes, and embedded support for member service offerings. The output is replicable, with primary-source citations, suitable for the comment letter or the member webinar.

Industry coverage is broadest in semiconductors, manufacturing, retail and apparel, energy and utilities, and IT. The 2026 brief on the CHIPS Act and the Taiwan share is an example of the kind of work an industry group would commission as the basis for member education.

Decisions we inform

• Producing industry-wide tariff and policy impact briefs for member education.
• Quantifying industry exposure to specific bills, regulations, or trade actions.
• Building defensible industry employment, wage, and value-added panels.
• Briefing Hill staff with replicable quantitative material.
• Designing member-facing analytics tools that the association can offer as a service.

Named offerings

Sample questions

• We need an industry-wide tariff exposure brief for our membership ahead of the House Ways and Means hearing. Eight to ten weeks?
• Can you build a member-facing analytics tool that decomposes our members' HS6 import basket exposure under named tariff scenarios?
• Build us a Hill briefing pack on the realistic 2026 to 2028 timeline for domestic chip output reaching parity.
• Our quarterly state-of-industry needs a refreshed employment, value-added, and trade panel. Maintain it for us.