Experts: EPA rollback unlikely to lower prices
By: Betty Lin-Fisher
Joey Garrison
and Rachel Barber
USA Today
..... The Trump administration's rollback of refrigerant rules for grocers probably won't significantly lower prices for shoppers, according to two economics professors.
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On May 21, [2026] the Trump administration overhauled tow Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency rules for refrigerants, saying the actions would lower grocery costs for consumers.
..... "This rollback is unlikely to translate into meaningful grocery price relief for consumers, at least not in any near-term or measurable way," Bernhard Dalheimer, assistant professor of macroeconomics and trade at Purdue University's Department of Agricultural economics, told USA today.
..... From a supply chain and food price perspective, the Biden-era rules targeted a one-time investment or capital cost in equipment upgrade for commercial refrigeration systems, Dalheimer said.
..... "Rolling back the compliance deadlines means grocers and cold-chain operators who have not yet invested in new equipment are off the hook for now. That avoids a future cost, but it does not reduce any cost that is currently embedded in grocery prices," he said.
..... One Trump EPA action delays deadlines for grocers and other companies to phase out the use of climate-damaging hydro-fluorocarbons for refrigeration under the 2023 Technology Transitions rule.
..... The White House estimates the move would make more refrigerants available to supermarkets, homeowners and other businesses.
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The EPA on May 21 [2026] also took steps to amend a 2024 program to exempt all road refrigerant appliances used to transport goods form new leak requirements for hydrofluorcarbons.
..... FMI, the Food Industry Association -a Virginia-based organization that repentants the food and grocery industry - said in a statement the EPA's actions would prevent increases in costs for grocers and consumers.
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"FMI is incredibly grateful for EPA's efforts to prevent an increase in grocery prices by revising the Technology Transitions Rule and reconsidering the Management Rule," the organizing said. "Taken together, these actions preserve the agency's goals without placing unnecessary financial burdens on the food industry and grocery shoppers."
..... The organization said an economic analysis indicted the EPA's Technology Transitions Rule and Management Rule together "could impose nearly $144 billion to total costs on americna businesses and consumers - equivalent to an economic burden of mere than $1,000 per americna household."
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Shoppers who noticed their grocery runs were taken a larger bite out of their budget in April [2026] were proved correct by Labor department data released May 12 [2026] showing food-at-home costs rose 0.7% in April, [2026] making the largest monthly increase since 2022.
..... consumers are paying current prices for food because of pressures and polices hat are raising the cost of energy, labor, transportation and commodities - not refrigerant upgrade costs that grocers were bracing for down the road, Dalheimer said.