Trump to roll back Biden-era refrigerant rules in push to lower grocery costs

WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Donald Trump and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin are set to make an announcement on Thursday as the administration continues efforts to roll back Biden-era environmental policies.

An administration official told multiple outlets that Trump is moving to ease EPA refrigerant rules in an effort to lower grocery costs for consumers.

“Today, the Trump EPA is fulfilling President Trump’s promise to lower costs,” Zeldin said in a White House statement to The New York Times. “Our actions allow businesses to choose the refrigeration systems that work best for them, saving them billions of dollars. This will be felt directly by American families in lower grocery prices.”

The Biden-era EPA rules required grocery stores, air conditioners and refrigeration systems to transition more quickly to climate-friendly refrigerants. Trump plans to extend deadlines for grocery stores and other companies to phase out climate-damaging hydrofluorocarbons.

Hydrofluorocarbons, commonly known as HFCs, are considered powerful “super pollutants” because they trap significantly more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Congress approved a bipartisan phasedown of the chemicals in 2020 under legislation signed by Trump during his first term.

The White House estimates the changes will generate $900 million in savings, including $800 million tied to grocery costs.

The Food Industry Association, which represents grocery stores and suppliers, applauded the Trump EPA proposal last year, saying the earlier rule “imposed significant and unrealistic compliance timelines.”

The EPA is also proposing changes to its 2024 emissions and refrigerant recovery rules that would exempt refrigerated trucks and other transport cooling systems from new hydrofluorocarbon leak requirements. The White House says the change could save businesses an additional $1.5 billion.

The move comes as the Trump administration works to reduce costs for Americans amid inflation pressures linked to rising oil prices during the war with Iran.

Wholesale inflation — the increase in prices paid by businesses — reached its highest level in April since 2022. Consumer prices also rose at the fastest annual pace since spring 2023, increasing 3.8% from a year earlier.

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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.