Why It Matters

Michelin North America reported $227,803 in in-house lobbying spending for the first quarter of 2026, according to a lobbying disclosure filed Monday, June 1. The tire manufacturer's federal government affairs team is pressing an agenda spanning trade, defense, tax policy, technology, and environmental regulation, a portfolio that has remained largely consistent over multiple years of LDA filings.

Michelin faces a crowded and shifting federal policy landscape, including tariffs on imported Chinese tires that are under active review by federal agencies, while the broader trade environment with Canada and Mexico remains uncertain amid ongoing USMCA negotiations. At the same time, Congress is weighing tax changes that could affect how manufacturers like Michelin deduct research and development costs. The company's lobbying footprint reflects an effort to shape outcomes across multiple fronts simultaneously, from the defense appropriations process to data access rules that affect its connected mobility business.

By the Numbers

The First Quarter 2026 disclosure reflects $227,803 in in-house spending, consistent with the Fourth Quarter 2025, Third Quarter 2025, and Second Quarter 2025 filings, each of which also reported $227,803. The First Quarter 2025 in-house filing reported $234,000, meaning in-house spending has held essentially flat over the past several quarters.

In addition to the in-house disclosure, the company retained Mayer Brown LLP for $70,000 to lobby on Section 232 investigations, and Holly Strategies Inc. for $10,000 on the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026. Mayer Brown and Holly Strategies have both been on retainer since at least the Second Quarter of 2025.

The in-house lobbying team consists of three individuals: Jenny Wieroniey, Head of U.S. Federal Government Affairs; David Chapman, Vice President of Public Affairs; and Emily Feenstra, Director of Government Affairs, Connected Mobility and Innovation. Feenstra's title changed from "Director of Government Affairs, Michelin Mobility Intelligence" in prior filings to "Director of Government Affairs, Connected Mobility and Innovation" in the current disclosure. Chapman and Wieroniey have appeared on Michelin's LDA filings dating back to at least 2023. Feenstra joined the lobbying team in 2024.

Broader Context

The U.S. International Trade Commission instituted a five-year sunset review of countervailing and antidumping duty orders on passenger vehicle and light truck tires from China, published in the Federal Register on January 2, 2026. The review will determine whether revoking those orders would lead to a continuation of dumping. The Commerce Department also released preliminary results of an antidumping duty administrative review covering Chinese passenger vehicle and light truck tires for the 2023–2024 period in February 2026.

The broader tariff environment adds another layer of complexity. Reporting from Koala Gains indicates that tariffs on non-USMCA-compliant tires were raised from 25% to 35% in August 2025.

On Right to Repair, H.R. 1566, the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act, was introduced in the 119th Congress and addresses independent repair shops' access to vehicle data. Law firm Nelson Mullins reported that 2026 is shaping up to be a significant year for legislation on vehicle-generated telematics data at both the federal and state levels.

On CFIUS, Skadden reported that the FY2026 NDAA codified "Reverse CFIUS" authority, restricting certain outbound U.S. investments, with new Treasury guidance issued in December 2025. As a French-headquartered company with major U.S. operations, Michelin has a direct stake in how these rules evolve.

Rep. Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA-1) noted in a June 2024 newsletter that he met with Michelin North America during a busy legislative week that also included meetings with Waymo and the National Automobile Dealers Association.

The Agenda

  • Trade: the filing cites the reduction of trade barriers and tariffs, antidumping of Chinese tires, and promotion of Canada/Mexico trade. The antidumping language reappeared in this filing after being absent from the Second and Third Quarter 2025 disclosures, having been present in the Fourth Quarter 2025 filing as well.
  • Transportation and Technology: Michelin is lobbying on innovation related to tires, non-pneumatic technology, advanced mobility, removal of regulatory barriers, vehicle data access under Right to Repair, and American Privacy Rights.
  • Defense: the filing specifically references FY2026 defense appropriations, the National Defense Authorization Act, and products including Tweel, composite rubber tracks, and cold weather and arctic mobility tires.
  • Taxation: the company is seeking Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) amendments to support annual deductions for Research & Development expenses, immediate business expensing, treatment of depreciation and amortization, a retread truck tire credit, and positions on Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Pillar 1 and Pillar 2. The reference to "Sec. 899 of One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB)" that appeared in the Second, Third, and Fourth Quarter 2025 filings is absent from this disclosure.
  • Environment: the filing covers climate, industrial decarbonization, renewable energy, Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) credits, recycling, chemical, and hydrogen issues.
  • Foreign Relations: Michelin is tracking Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) restrictions and Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) rules.

The Bottom Line

Michelin's quarter one 2026 lobbying disclosure reflects a well-established, multi-front federal engagement strategy that has been largely consistent for several years. The company is maintaining its in-house spending at roughly the same level as recent quarters while continuing to supplement with specialized outside counsel on trade and defense appropriations. The return of antidumping language and the continued focus on tariff policy signal that the current trade environment remains a central concern for the company's government affairs operation.

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