Why It Matters

McCormick sources spices from more than 80 countries. That global footprint has made the company acutely exposed to U.S. tariff policy. According to Food Business News, McCormick's gross tariff costs for 2025 escalated to approximately $70 million — up from an earlier estimate of $50 million. The company's annualized tariff exposure reportedly reached $140 million, per FinancialContent/MarketMinute. The legislative solution McCormick appears to be pursuing, based on prior filings, is relief on tariffs for spices that cannot be commercially grown domestically — alongside favorable treatment in any forthcoming tax legislation.

By the Numbers

McCormick & Co. Inc.](https://app.legis1.com/lda-filings/detail?id=2075623#summary) filed a fourth quarter 2025 lobbying disclosure reporting $80,000 in in-house lobbying activity — part of a broader, multi-firm LDA disclosure report campaign that has cost the spice company more than $530,000 across 2025.

The last quarter in-house filing is one of four disclosures McCormick filed this quarter alone. Taken together, the full fourth quarter lobbying activity report picture includes:

That brings the fourth quarter spending across all three registrants to roughly $238,000 — the highest single-quarter total in the data reviewed.

Across all of 2025, McCormick's spice company federal lobbying activity totaled approximately $533,065, spread across three distinct registrant firms. The in-house operation accounted for $315,000 of that total. LobbyDC.com LLC, a retained external firm active since at least Second Quarter 2025, contributed $120,000. Continental Strategy LLC, a newer engagement that registered as a new client in mid-2025, added $98,065.

The in-house lobbying team includes Paul B. Nolan and Andrew Felz, both of whom appeared on earlier quarterly filings. On the external side, Patrick J. Raffaniello of LobbyDC.com LLC has been active across multiple quarters. Continental Strategy LLC deployed Craig Patrick Carbone, Anthony Sola, and Hayes Kenneth Heredia on McCormick's behalf in the Fourth Quarter.

In-house spending held flat at $80,000, while external spending increased.

The Agenda

The Fourth Quarter in-house filing lists no specific issues. However, prior filings provide a clear picture of the lobbying activity report's subject matter. Across earlier 2025 disclosures, McCormick has consistently reported lobbying on:

  • Tariffs and trade issues — cited in every substantive filing from first quarter through third quarter by in-house lobbyists, and in all external firm filings
  • Corporate tax reform / the upcoming tax debate — cited in second quarter and Third Quarter in-house filings, and across all LobbyDC quarterly reports
  • Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) regulations — cited in the First Quarter in-house filing only

Broader Context

The policy environment driving this corporate lobbying filing activity has been turbulent. Supply Chain Dive reported that McCormick worked to reduce its net tariff impact from $70 million to approximately $20 million through expense cuts, alternative sourcing, and price increases — but executives acknowledged those mitigation efforts are not permanent.

In McCormick's third quarter 2025 earnings call, as reported by Investing.com, CFO Marcos Gabriel stated: "For 2025, we continue to expect to offset most of the tariff impact, but it's worth noting that not all of our mitigation efforts are permanent, and these will need to be addressed next year."

On the regulatory front, the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) initiative has added another dimension. The American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) noted that the initiative's emphasis on phasing out artificial ingredients could position spices as a natural alternative — a potential opportunity for companies like McCormick.

In September 2025, the Trump Administration issued an executive order providing a framework to reduce or remove tariffs for unavailable natural resources, including spices. ASTA described the order as the result of "months of conversations with administration officials."

Competitive Landscape

McCormick is not alone in pressing Washington on spice tariffs. ASTA submitted a formal letter to the U.S. Trade Representative on March 11, 2025, opposing new tariffs on spices not grown domestically. ASTA's Executive Director Laura Shumow argued, per Politico: "Many essential spices, including cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla, require tropical conditions and cannot be cultivated domestically on a commercial scale."

Notably, Politico also reported that before 2025, ASTA had not lobbied at the federal level since 2011 — a signal of how unusual the current trade environment is for the industry. Food Dive and Grocery Dive both reported that ASTA sent a letter to Congress identifying more than a dozen spices as a priority list for tariff relief.

The Bottom Line

McCormick's 2025 lobbying activity report reflects a company navigating an unusually difficult trade environment for a business built on global sourcing. The company has deployed a three-firm lobbying structure — in-house plus two external firms — and sustained that investment across all four quarters of 2025.

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