An Important Update Regarding NAMM Policy and Advocacy Efforts

March 16, 2026

We know you are following the news and wondering how policies and global conflicts are impacting our industry. Our NAMM policy team, led by Claire Kreger-Boaz and in constant consultation with our long-time lobby partner Nelson Mullins, has been hard at work! We are monitoring, educating, consulting, and taking action on issues ranging from education policy to tariffs. As we look toward our annual D.C. Fly-In event in May, we want to update you on our activities and recent strategic meetings in Washington, D.C., involving members of Congress and their staff.

The 20th NAMM Advocacy D.C. Fly-In is taking place May 10-14, and we remain steadfast in our ongoing efforts to advocate for federal music education funding. This year, we are proud to have recently announced that during our event, NAMM is the presenting sponsor of the Congressional Record, an event that highlights the unifying power of music and the positive impact that access to music and arts education has on communities, showcasing the musical talents of bipartisan, bicameral members of Congress — featuring the Congressional Musicians Caucus and the Congressional Arts Caucus.

NAMM’s work on music education funding continues, as our member delegates and industry partners will gather on Capitol Hill in May to urge Congress to support increased funding for federal programs that make music and arts education possible. This includes Title I, Title II, Title IV, Part A, Assistance for Arts Education and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Every new budget — or, in the past few years, every continuing resolution for a previous budget — is an opportunity for Congress to cut, maintain, or increase funding that states use to support music education programs. Our persistent lobbying for these funds is crucial.

In addition, this year, NAMM will once again lead a contingent of U.S.-based members to hold strategic tariff impact meetings with key members of Congress. Our aim in these meetings is to educate members of Congress and their staff on the impacts tariffs are having on NAMM member businesses, while also strategizing with high-ranking leaders on how to gain access to decision makers in the United States Trade Representative’s office to lobby for exclusions on behalf of the music products industry.  

In early March, Claire and I visited Washington, D.C., to hold strategic meetings on Capitol Hill and lay the groundwork for our upcoming Fly-In. We met with members of Congress on the House Ways and Means committee to strategize on tariff lobbying, as well as co-sponsored a congressional briefing with the National Association for Music Education and the Country Music Association Foundation, educating congressional members, staff, and policy makers on why all children deserve access to music education.  The full video of the briefing is now available, and we have included photos from some of our meetings in this update.

In regard to recent tariff announcements, NAMM continuously monitors executive and regulatory actions that impact our members and will post updates as these situations evolve. Right now, we are active in preparing comments to submit on behalf of our industry for the new 301 investigations that were opened last week. With IEEPA being overturned, the focus has shifted to other avenues to authorize tariffs, and where there are specified processes for submitting comments and lobbying for exceptions, NAMM is on the forefront of these efforts for our industry. To stay up to date on actions we can take, current tariff rates, and information about any potential refunds, we encourage all NAMM members to attend our regular tariff working group and webinars.

In addition to our work on music education and tariffs, we are closely monitoring the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East, the disruption of key shipping lanes, and rising global energy costs. We understand that in our globally interconnected industry, disruption anywhere can affect NAMM members everywhere. We will provide updates to NAMM members on any known impacts as this situation continues.

As you can see from our dedicated work outlined above, NAMM is first and foremost an association that cares deeply for our members and the global music products industry. We know we are living through a moment in history with much uncertainty, and rest assured that NAMM is doing everything we can to help our industry navigate the challenges we face and take advantage of the opportunities ahead of us. We greatly value our members and appreciate your support and trust. If you have any questions or want to be more involved, please feel free to reach out to our policy team at publicaffairs@namm.org .

Sincerely, 

John Mlynczak
NAMM President and CEO