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President Trump just signed an executive order that could put real money back in your pocket, terminating Biden-era regulations that were driving up the cost of refrigerators, air conditioners, and yes, even your grocery bill. Standing alongside grocery store executives and administration officials, Trump made it clear: the days of paying more for inferior equipment are over.
The so-called “technology transition rule” forced companies to adopt specific high-cost refrigerants, which Trump called “crazy” and “ridiculous.” The result? Massive price hikes for transporting and storing goods. Many grocery stores and restaurants had no choice but to replace their refrigeration systems entirely, and Trump noted that half of them went out of business because of it. The rule also forced Americans to buy higher-cost residential air conditioning units that were not only more expensive but would become obsolete quickly.
According to the White House, today’s actions will save Americans a total of $2.4 billion. Changes to the Technology Transitions Rule alone will protect over 350,000 high-skilled American jobs and save more than $900 million, including over $800 million at supermarkets. The EPA estimates that changes to the Emissions Reduction and Reclamation Rule could save transporters of refrigerated goods up to $1.5 billion.
Trump didn’t stop at consumer costs. He pointed out that the Biden rules created national security risks by adding hurdles to semiconductor manufacturing. The emissions rule imposed what he called “crippling leak repair requirements” on large-scale refrigeration systems, making it nearly impossible for small businesses to buy equipment and keep their doors open.
“Thanks to today’s reforms, the American people have lower grocery prices, cheaper transportation of goods, lower cost of air conditioning, at no detriment at all to our country, zero, including environmental detriment,” Trump said. That’s a direct shot at the climate activists who insisted these regulations were necessary to save the planet.
The administration’s deregulatory agenda has already saved an estimated $1.2 trillion, and Trump made clear he’s committed to “completely ending” what he calls Biden’s “disastrous regulatory policies.” The message is simple: every dollar saved by businesses is a dollar that doesn’t get passed on to you at the checkout line.
So the next time you open your refrigerator or crank up the AC, remember that someone in Washington was trying to make that more expensive. And someone else just stopped them.
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