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LOBBYING REPORT |
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page
2. Address
| Address1 | 1130 Connecticut Ave nw |
Address2 | 1200 |
| City | Washington |
State | DC |
Zip Code | 20036 |
Country | USA |
3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2)
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5. Senate ID# 401106405-12
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6. House ID# 454650001
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| TYPE OF REPORT | 8. Year | 2022 |
Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) | Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) | Q3 (7/1 - 9/30) | Q4 (10/1 - 12/31) |
9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report
| 10. Check if this is a Termination Report | Termination Date |
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11. No Lobbying Issue Activity |
| INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13 | |||||||||
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| 12. Lobbying | 13. Organizations | ||||||||
| INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period was: | EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period were: | ||||||||
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| Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, of all lobbying related income for the client (including all payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying activities on behalf of the client). | 14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense accounting method. See instructions for description of options. | ||||||||
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Method A.
Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only
Method B. Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code |
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| Signature | Digitally Signed By: Shawn Bengali |
Date | 7/11/2022 2:46:03 PM |
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code TAR
16. Specific lobbying issues
Mr. Bengali had met with several Congressional staffers in Q2 to discuss H.R.4521 - America COMPETES Act of 2022 and the impact that it would have on VDMA member companies, specifically regarding how a provision may prevent "finished goods" for being considered under any future MTBs, a prospect that may negatively affect VDMA member companies. Mr. Bengali also voiced concerns over how the creation of an outbound investment review mechanism, though intended for "countries of concern" like China, may set a concerning precedent in the future if a future executive branch considers current allies like Germany and Japan a "country of concern." Mr. Bengali did note to fellow lawmakers that a certain provision in the COMPETES Act, Sec. 10002, may positively affect VDMA member companies, as it would include not just semiconductors in the $52 billion investment being proposed in the COMPETES Act, but also semiconductor equipment, a product being manufactured by several VDMA member companies. Mr. Bengali also relayed to staffers in the Senate that S.1260 - United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, would have a positive impact on VDMA member companies, as greater investments into semiconductors increase the demand for semiconductor equipment, which as previously mentioned, is manufactured by several VDMA member companies.
In addition, Mr. Bengali generally discussed to staffers in both chambers of Congress, as well as staffers at the USTR and Department of Commerce, how an elimination of industrial tariffs between the European Union and the United States would benefit VDMA member companies. In addition, Mr. Bengali has distributed documents drafted by the VDMA to staffers at the USTR, DOC, Senate, and House discussing the challenges its member companies face from the U.S.-China trade relationship, and how China's trade policies affect VDMA member companies. As it relates to the U.S.-China trade relationship, Mr. Bengali has discussed how a robust tariff exclusions process would benefit VDMA member companies, to staffers at USTR, Senate, and House.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Commerce - Dept of (DOC)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Shawn |
Bengali |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
VDMA (Mechanical Engineering Industry Association) is the private foreign entity that has interests in the above lobbying issues.
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code TRD
16. Specific lobbying issues
In addition to the tariff issues mentioned in the previous section, Mr. Bengali has also lobbied on several other issues related to trade for the VDMA in Q2. Mr. Bengali has held several discussions with staffers at the USTR, DOC, and to a lesser extent, the Senate and the House, on the issue of achieving an agreement between the U.S. and EU to mutually recognize each other's conformity assessment results for machinery and industrial equipment products, as such an agreement would greatly benefit VDMA member companies.
Mr. Bengali has also discussed the importance of reforming the WTO and how the WTO's Appellate Body reinstation would be beneficial to VDMA member companies, to staffers at USTR, House, and Senate. In addition, as it related to the October Section 232 tariff agreement between the U.S. and EU, in which both expressed a willingness to achieve a joint Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), Mr. Bengali has expressed to staffers at USTR, Senate, and House, how if a CBAM was put in place, it must be between like-minded countries like the EU and U.S., and not just one nation going at it alone, as a joint CBAM effort would be more beneficial to VDMA members compared to individual CBAMs.
In addition, although the U.S. and EU achieved an agreement to suspend the long-running aircraft subsidy dispute in 2021, Mr. Bengali has also expressed to staffers at the USTR that the dispute should be completely resolved.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Commerce - Dept of (DOC), Commerce - Dept of (DOC)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Shawn |
Bengali |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
VDMA (Mechanical Engineering Industry Association) is the private foreign entity interested in the above issues.
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code MAN
16. Specific lobbying issues
Mr. Bengali has discussed to staffers at the DOC how the increased use of the OPC-UA machine interoperability standard would benefit machine manufacturers and end-users, which are primary businesses of VDMA member companies. The goal of this advocacy is to see if NIST would find it appropriate to recommend this international standard (IEC 62541) to be a standard in the U.S. In addition, the VDMA has also discussed to staffers in the House and Senate how domestic content requirements create roadblocks for VDMA manufacturers.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Commerce - Dept of (DOC)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Shawn |
Bengali |
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19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
VDMA (Mechanical Engineering Industry Association) is the private foreign entity that is interested in the above issues.
Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.
20. Client new address
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21. Client new principal place of business (if different than line 20)
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22. New General description of client’s business or activities
LOBBYIST UPDATE
23. Name of each previously reported individual who is no longer expected to act as a lobbyist for the client
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ISSUE UPDATE
24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains
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AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)
Internet Address:
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Principal Place of Business (city and state or country) |
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26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
FOREIGN ENTITIES
27. Add the following foreign entities:
| Name | Address |
Principal place of business (city and state or country) |
Amount of contribution for lobbying activities | Ownership percentage in client | ||||||||||
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28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization
| 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 |
CONVICTIONS DISCLOSURE
29. Have any of the lobbyists listed on this report been convicted in a Federal or State Court of an offense involving bribery,
extortion, embezzlement, an illegal kickback, tax evasion, fraud, a conflict of interest, making a false statement, perjury, or money laundering?
| Lobbyist Name | Description of Offense(s) |