WASHINGTON — Companies in South Korea’s Hanwha group reported about $1.08 million in lobbying spending in the third quarter and paid outside firms about $470,000 more, as the conglomerate pressed Washington on shipbuilding, defense budgets and energy policy, according to federal lobbying disclosures filed last week.
The filings show Hanwha adding a well-connected firm. Checkmate Government Relations registered on Oct. 19 to lobby for Hanwha Defense USA on “issues related to shipyard investments,” listing Christopher LaCivita, Charles McDowell and Teresa Morgenstern as lobbyists, according to the registration. LaCivita was a senior adviser to President Trump’s 2024 campaign. Checkmate’s third-quarter report lists $150,000 in income from the client and contacts with the Defense Department and the White House Office. The Washington Inquisitor noted the registration last week.
The spending comes as the administration seeks foreign investment to rebuild U.S. shipbuilding. Hanwha bought the Philadelphia shipyard in 2024 and has pledged $5 billion toward the $150 billion South Korean shipbuilding initiative known as MASGA, or “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again,” according to Korea JoongAng Daily. In August, President Trump signed a memorandum allowing foreign shipbuilders that own U.S. yards to build up to two Navy vessels abroad, the newspaper reported.
In-house spending
Hanwha Aerospace, the group’s defense arm, reported $710,000 in third-quarter lobbying expenses, down from $774,000 in the second quarter and $1.42 million in the first, according to its quarterly report. It listed “issues related to shipbuilding, army ground systems, strategic missiles, and defense authorization” and the fiscal 2027 defense bills, with contacts at the Defense, State, Commerce and Treasury departments, the Trade Representative’s office and Congress. It also reported lobbying on natural gas offshore terminal and shipping contract awards. Its lobbyists include Caden Waterstradt, whom the filing lists as a former military legislative assistant to Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
Hanwha Q Cells America, the solar manufacturer, reported $340,000, down from $490,000 in the second quarter, according to its report. Hanwha Energy USA Holdings reported $30,000, the same as the prior quarter, on energy permitting and “federal support for domestic energy investments,” including S. 5653, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, according to its filing. Its lobbyist, Christopher Osman, is listed as a former advisor and chief of staff to a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission commissioner and a former staff member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
| Filer | Client | Q3 amount | Q2 amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanwha Aerospace (in-house) | Hanwha Aerospace | $710,000 | $774,000 |
| Hanwha Q Cells America (in-house) | Hanwha Q Cells America | $340,000 | $490,000 |
| Hanwha Energy USA Holdings (in-house) | Hanwha Energy USA | $30,000 | $30,000 |
| Checkmate Government Relations | Hanwha Defense USA | $150,000 | — |
| Mission Strategies | Hanwha Q Cells America | $120,000 | $120,000 |
| The Nickles Group | Hanwha Q Cells America | $50,000 | $40,000 |
| The Nickles Group (termination) | Hanwha Defense USA | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| Venture Government Strategies | Hanwha Defense USA | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| Venture Government Strategies | Hanwha Q Cells America | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| Potomac International Partners | Hanwha Azdel | $30,000 | $20,000 |
Outside firms
Venture Government Strategies reported $40,000 from Hanwha Defense USA for work on “funding issues related to shipbuilding, ground systems, and munitions” and the fiscal 2027 defense authorization and appropriations bills, listing contacts at the Pentagon, the National Economic Council and the Office of Management and Budget, according to its report. The firm reported another $40,000 from Q Cells.
The Nickles Group filed a termination report for its Hanwha Defense USA account, listing $40,000 for the quarter, while reporting $50,000 from Q Cells. Mission Strategies reported $120,000 from Q Cells, and Potomac International Partners reported $30,000 from Hanwha Azdel, a composites maker.
Combined, outside firms reported about $470,000 in third-quarter Hanwha income, up from about $300,000 in the second quarter. The in-house total fell to about $1.08 million from about $1.29 million. Because in-house filers can include payments to outside firms in their own expenses, the two totals may overlap and should not simply be added together.
The shipyard
Hanwha Philly Shipyard announced on Oct. 7 that the Missile Defense Agency had awarded it a contract to build up to three missile range instrumentation vessels, with one ship ordered at first and the Maritime Administration to operate the vessels, according to the company’s release. The first delivery is expected in 2030.
The Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center opened on July 23 in an event with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Korea JoongAng Daily reported. The newspaper reported that much of the $150 billion pledge has yet to turn into signed projects.
The Washington Inquisitor sought comment from Hanwha’s U.S. units, Checkmate Government Relations, the other lobbying firms named in the filings and the Commerce Department. They did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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