Hanwha has appointed a close associate of the Donald Trump administration as a lobbyist in the U.S. to represent its interests. According to a Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) report registered with the U.S. Congress on the 20th, Hanwha Defense USA, the local subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace, renewed its contract with “Checkmate Government Relations” on September 7. The contract, initially signed for $150,000 (approximately 200 million Korean won) from June to August, was extended. Charles McDowell, the representative of the company, is known to be close to Donald Trump Jr., having gone on a bear hunt with the eldest son of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The lobbying fields are listed as Defense (DEF), Trade (TRD), and Foreign Affairs (FOR), with the purpose stated as “Issues related to shipyard investments.” The target institutions are the White House and the Department of Defense. Hanwha is currently in final negotiations and due diligence extension procedures to acquire Austal USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Australia-based shipbuilding and defense company Austal. Austal USA, based in Mobile, Alabama, operates a shipyard and undertakes naval vessel construction projects for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. If the acquisition succeeds, Hanwha will establish multiple military shipbuilding systems in the U.S., alongside the Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania, which it secured in 2024. Hanwha is investing $5 billion to expand the Philly Shipyard’s facilities.
Checkmate, headquartered in North Carolina, has emerged as one of the most prominent lobbying firms on K Street in Washington, D.C., alongside Ballard Partners, Mercury Public Affairs (MPA), and Miller Strategies, during Trump’s second term. Christopher LaCivita Jr., who is listed as a lobbyist representing Hanwha’s interests alongside McDowell, is the son of Chris LaCivita, the co-campaign chairman who played a pivotal role in Trump’s 2024 election campaign. Checkmate also represents MBK Partners and Young Poong (YPC), a private equity fund alliance engaged in a management dispute with Chairman Choi Yun-birm of Korea Zinc over control of the company.
Leave a Reply