How Government Affairs Professionals Are Responding to Uncertainty Around Tariffs & Trade Policy

Tariffs have shot up the priority list for government affairs professionals. In a recent FiscalNote survey of experts across 18 industries, 57 percent say tariffs are now a high or top concern. But most teams are stuck in wait-and-see mode, watching as trade policies shift under their feet.

The survey responses, which we’ll unpack in this report, reveal a consistent theme: uncertainty. While some organizations have already begun to adapt, many are still in a holding pattern — watching and waiting. 

This report examines how government affairs teams are adapting to evolving trade policies, the operational adjustments they've made (or plan to make), and the tools they utilize to stay informed.

Tariffs Are a Top Priority — But Most Orgs Are Still Waiting to Act

Just 11 percent of respondents say tariffs are a low or non-priority. The rest are navigating a complex, fast-moving situation, with 57 percent indicating that tariffs are a high or top priority.

Operational and Strategic Changes

Most organizations haven’t taken action yet, but they’re watching closely.  However, 16 percent have already implemented major changes, while 19 percent have made minor adjustments. Just 5 percent believe they won’t need to change anything in response to tariffs.

Nonprofits are leading the charge, with 22 percent already implementing major changes, more than any other sector.

These changes in response to tariffs vary, but the majority have shifted their government relations and policy strategy (68 percent). Many others have adjusted financial forecasting, supply chain, and policy outcome forecasting.  

Tariff-Related Challenges & Concerns

When asked to name their biggest tariff-related challenge, respondents overwhelmingly pointed to one thing: uncertainty. It’s stalling plans, delaying decisions, and forcing teams to play defense.

Here is a sampling of your answers to the question: What has been the single biggest challenge your organization or team has faced as a result of the tariffs?

The result of this uncertainty is rising anxiety. More than half (54 percent) are extremely concerned about the future of U.S. trade policy under the Trump administration. Another 30 percent are somewhat concerned. Only 3 percent are not worried about this topic. 

Nonprofits and associations feel the pressure most: 78 percent and 75 percent, respectively, say they’re extremely concerned. Compare that to 31 percent of corporations and 25 percent of multinationals.

Only 8 percent of respondents say they’re preparing to scale back. The rest are keeping an eye on developments: 46 percent are still deciding what action to take.

Are these concerns expected to persist? Many people believe the volatility is likely to resolve in a few years, or at the end of Trump’s term (40 percent). Around 32 percent are more optimistic, believing things will calm down within a year. However, 27 percent believe this will be an ongoing issue for years to come. 

Tariff Sentiment Snapshot

We asked you how you would sum up your outlook on tariffs in one word or sentence. Here is a sampling of responses to give a temperature check on how government affairs professionals view the state of trade policy. 

How Pros are Staying Informed

Keeping up with rapidly changing tariffs requires the right tools. The most common tools government affairs teams use are their trade associations or professional networks (70 percent), as well as industry-specific news outlets (70 percent). 

Other valuable resources for staying up-to-date include legislation tracking tools like PolicyNote, mainstream media, and the services of lobbyists or consultants. 

Many professionals we surveyed indicated their need for streamlined, updated, easy-to-access information about the latest tariffs and trade policies. That’s where PolicyNote comes in. Our tariff tracker helps government affairs teams stay ahead of the curve with live policy updates, plain-language summaries, and intelligent analysis tools that illustrate how changes may impact your organization.

“We built the tariff tracker because our users told us they needed a better way to stay on top of trade policy,” says Paul Ellender, senior product manager at PolicyNote. “It’s a direct response to a real, urgent problem — and we’re proud to help solve it.”

Every tariff in the platform now includes an executive summary and information on its relevance to other legislation. You can also quickly learn the impact on a particular organization or person and whether the impacts are anticipated to be positive or negative, and get in-depth answers from the AI assistant.

Who We Surveyed

Roles

We received survey results in June 2025 from a sampling of those in government and public affairs. The majority have government relations roles (61 percent), followed by regulatory affairs (19 percent). External affairs, general counsel, and the public sector were also represented in the data. 

Organization Types

A variety of organization types were surveyed, with the majority being corporations, followed by non-profits and associations.

Industries

We surveyed professionals across 18 industries. The largest group of respondents was in the manufacturing industry (19 percent), likely because this industry is one of the most impacted by tariffs. Healthcare had the second highest representation at 14 percent. 

As tariffs and trade policies continue to shift, government affairs professionals are grappling with uncertainty and preparing for continued volatility. One thing is clear: staying informed is more critical than ever.

PolicyNote helps teams cut through the noise with real-time tariff tracking and alerting, clear summaries, and an intuitive dashboard that puts everything you need in one place. Whether you're monitoring new developments or analyzing potential impacts, PolicyNote empowers you to stay ahead of trade policy changes with confidence. Request a demo today to learn more.