Inside Washington: August 2025

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NECA NextGen Fly-in 2025: Emerging Leaders, Emerging Opportunities

The Latest on Tariffs

Don’t Forget to Take Advantage of Congress’ August Recess

NECA NextGen Fly-in 2025: Emerging Leaders, Emerging Opportunities

Twelve up-and-coming contractors and Chapter staff landed in Washington, DC, on July 21st and hit the ground running at the 2025 NECA NextGen Fly-in. From learning about how Congress works to hearing directly from Congressional Chiefs of Staff, attendees got a crash course on what it takes to be effective advocates for our industry. Attendees were treated to an after-hours tour of the U.S. Capitol led by NECA Champion (and former electrician) Rep. Donald Norcross of New Jersey and a Capitol historian.

Before putting their skills to the test in meetings on Capitol Hill with Members of Congress and the staff on Day 2, attendees had a chance to hear from Rep. Adam Gray of California. To wrap things up, everyone got a ‘suite’ view of the Washington Nationals' win over the Cincinnati Reds.

It was a phenomenal couple of days with an incredibly promising group of our industry’s next generation of NECA advocates and leaders.

The Latest on Tariffs

The Trump administration recently announced trade deals with two of our largest trading partners, the European Union and Japan. He also announced a new policy on copper tariffs.

E.U. Deal

• A 15% flat tariff on most EU exports to the U.S.
  • This replaces the previously threatened 30% reciprocal tariffs, offering clarity and predictability for major sectors like automobiles, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals.
• Major EU commitments to U.S. energy, investment, and defense:
  • The EU will buy around $750 billion in U.S. energy products (roughly $250 billion annually over three years), invest $600 billion in the U.S., and acquire substantial U.S. military equipment.
• Targeted Exemptions and Steel Duties:
  • Select products like aircraft parts, certain chemicals, and semiconductor equipment will stay duty-free. But, U.S. tariffs of 50% on steel and aluminum persist. Future talks may lead to quotas instead.

Why it matters: The administration claims this deal counters EU trade practices that harm U.S. exporters. However, it may raise costs for the construction industry on imported metals and specialty items.

Japan Deal

Japan will invest $550 billion directed by the United States to rebuild and expand core American industries. Trial base, including:

• Energy infrastructure and production, including LNG, advanced fuels, and grid modernization;
• Semiconductor manufacturing and research, rebuilding U.S. capacity from design to fabrication;
• Critical minerals mining, processing, and refining, ensuring access to essential inputs;
• Pharmaceutical and medical production, ending U.S. dependence on foreign-made medicines and supplies; and,
• Commercial and defense shipbuilding

Copper Tariffs

On July 29, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a formal proclamation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 that will significantly reshape the U.S. copper trade landscape. This proclamation follows the President’s comments on July 8 where he first said he would increase tariffs on copper to 50 percent.

• Beginning August 1, 2025, a 50% ad valorem tariff will be imposed on all imports of semi-finished copper products (such as copper pipes, wires, rods, sheets, and tubes) and copper-intensive derivatives (such as pipe fittings, cables, connectors, and electrical components).
• Further, the administration invoked the Defense Production Act requiring 25% of high-quality copper scrap produced in the United States to be sold in the United States.

NECA Notes: The price of copper futures dropped dramatically within a few minutes of the new policy announcement.

Take Action: If your company does critical infrastructure, data center or defense related work and has been impacted by tariffs please contact the Government Affairs team. Please visit www.necanet.org/regs for the latest Regulatory bulletins on tariffs and other regulatory news.

Don’t Forget to Take Advantage of Congress’ August Recess

Congress will be in session for the summer district work period from June 1st to September 1st. This is a great time to meet with your Member of Congress and discuss the issues impacting the electrical construction industry. Take this opportunity to set up a meeting at one of the following locations:

• NECA Chapter Office
• NECA-IBEW Training Center
• NECA Member Company Office
• Job site

This is a great time to connect your business to the work NECA’s Government Affairs team is doing in DC. We have a variety of tools you can use to have a successful meeting with your legislator, but please don’t hesitate to reach out to Seth Guidry ([email protected]) if you have any questions or need assistance.

• Review the current NECA Legislative Asks (Link to PDF)
• Read up on our issues and stay informed on NECA’s Legislative Priorities
• View our Congressional Visit Toolkit to find out what steps you need to take before, during, and after an in-district meeting (Link to PDF)
• Review our Tips on Communicating with Congress