Every year, PPAI hosts promo pros in Washington for a day on Capitol Hill to inform legislators and their staffers about the promotional products industry. PPAI’s annual Legislative Education and Action Day gives industry leaders the opportunity to build relationships and advocate for the interests of the branded merchandise community.
Tariffs and trade topped the list of concerns, as well as opposition to the SWAG Act and support for the Modern Worker Empowerment Act.
“Over the past few days at LEAD, we came together with unmatched passion, purpose and professionalism. With 100 appointments and 100% participation from congressional offices, we made our voices heard,” said PPAI President & CEO Drew Holmgreen.
“Most importantly, we left with confidence that our elected officials understand and support the need for balanced strategies that protect fair trade without compromising our industry’s incredible ability to spread joy around the world,” he adds. “Thank you for showing up, speaking up and lifting our community.”
Drew Holmgreen
President & CEO, PPAI
LEAD 2025 drew more than industry professionals from across the country on April 7 and 8 to the nation’s capital to address issues of particular importance to promo. Whether experienced attendees or first-timers, all were eager to share the promotional products industry’s scope, influence and needs with representatives, senators and their staffers.
“We met with a lot of staffers – and I actually prefer that, because they’re the ones who keep the calendars. I love talking to staffers,” said Dana Steffens, deputy general counsel for SanMar, the No. 1 PPAI 100 supplier, and a first-time LEAD attendee.
Top LEAD Legislative Issues
At the top of the LEAD legislative agenda, attendees expressed opposition to the SWAG Act. This bill would prohibit government agencies from using federal funds on promotional products, which are often used to help educate citizens about public safety programs and health initiatives.
A PPAI team met directly with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) to discuss the potential harm the bill could cause, not only to the promo industry but to the federal agencies that rely on promotional products to communicate vital information to the public.
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“The SWAG Act is the issue that has the most impact on our industry right now, even more than tariffs,” said Scott Hareid, owner of Hareid Marketing and a long-time LEAD attendee. “And most of the legislators we met with were very receptive that a blanket ban is not productive.”
The event also provided the chance to support two bills, one a longstanding issue for the industry, and the other a brand-new Senate effort to reassert congressional authority over tariffs and trade policy.
A significant portion of promo’s sales force intentionally consider themselves to be independent workers. Rule changes in the past few years from the Department of Labor have jeopardized their status, and PPAI has long been advocating to protect independent work relationships. The Modern Worker Empowerment Act would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act and provide a clear definition that is more favorable to independent workers.
Attendees thanked Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), who filed the bill, and one of its co-sponsors, Rep. Mark Messmer (R-Ind.), for their support and encouraged other members of Congress to sign on and support the bill as well.
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“We had the right meetings with the right people at the right time, and we are building a community that has value in teaching others in the industry,” said Tony Shereda, MAS, vice president of sales for distributor QMI Group.
Just days before LEAD – and the day after the president announced sweeping tariffs – a group of senators introduced bipartisan legislation to restore congressional oversight of such measures. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced the bipartisan Trade Review Act of 2025 on April 3 to reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs without the approval of Congress. Under the bill, Congress would have the ability to end tariffs at any time by passing a resolution of disapproval.
A PPAI team thanked Grassley personally, and others conveyed gratitude to the offices of fellow sponsors in the Senate: Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).
An important part of the conversations was reminding lawmakers that the light manufacturing – i.e. the decorating and customization that adds value – is largely done in the U.S. by American workers, said Lori Donovan, MAS, an account executive with S&S Activewear, the No. 5 supplier in the PPAI 100 and a repeat LEAD attendee.
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“Every single order in our industry is custom,” she added. “We finish it here [in the U.S.], but we have to be able to import it to decorate it.”
The day after PPAI members visited Capitol Hill, the president announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for countries that haven’t retaliated against the United States, dropping tariff rates to 10% on imports from most countries. However, tariffs on China were raised to a total of 145%, effective immediately. The announcement comes on the heels of China’s finance ministry vowing to impose 84% tariffs on U.S. goods starting Thursday, April 10, in response to Trump raising tariffs on China to 104%.
Overall, attendees felt very positive about the conversations during LEAD and are already following up.
“We showed up with a clear, unified message on behalf of our industry – and this is just the beginning,” said Alok Bhat, PPAI’s market economist, research & public affairs lead. “We’ll keep the momentum going and continue engaging on the issues that matter most.”
For questions or suggestions on regulatory or government affairs issues, please contact Rachel Zoch at RachelZ@ppai.org.
