EPA’s Revised Refrigerant Compliance Deadlines Ease Transition for Foodservice Industry

The updated AIM Act rules extend timelines for lower-global warming potential refrigerants, giving businesses more flexibility while maintaining the federal HFC phasedown schedule.

In a move expected to save businesses more than $900 million, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revised its compliance deadlines for refrigerants used in foodservice applications.

Signed into law at the end of President Donald Trump’s first term, the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2020 requires an 85% phasedown in the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), synthetic gases that contribute to global warming, used in refrigerants, air conditioning, and other applications by 2036. In 2023, under the Biden administration, the EPA adopted a Technology Transitions Rule that would have required grocery stores and other foodservice operators to move to alternative refrigerants for commercial refrigeration systems beginning in 2026. Some trade organizations opposed the Biden administration’s timeline because it would have forced the foodservice industry to adopt a handful of refrigerant alternatives that are currently impractical, technologically infeasible, or present safety concerns.

In response to that feedback, in October 2025, the EPA, again under the leadership of the Trump administration, announced it would reconsider how the AIM Act is being implemented. On May 26, 2026, the agency announced a final rule that updates the compliance schedule to allow refrigerant blends that have a global warming potential (GWP) of up to 1,400 for remote condensing units and supermarket systems used in food retail. The GWP ceiling for cold storage warehouses was also raised to a GWP of 700. The stricter GWP requirements of 150 or 300 that were previously scheduled to begin this year will now take effect beginning Jan. 1, 2032.

To help FEDA members understand the revised requirements, Refrigerated Solutions Group shared information about the final rule’s refrigerant compliance deadlines and its impact on distributors.

For projects with remote refrigeration, the most common HFC blends used in commercial refrigeration (including R-448A/R-449A) are once again allowable for new installations beginning July 27, 2026. These blends fall under the 1,400 GWP interim ceiling and were not allowable under the original rule’s 150 or 300 GWP limits. Dealers and customers who paused projects or transitioned designs to lower-GWP systems in anticipation of the original deadlines now have additional refrigerant flexibility for installations through the beginning of 2032. For cold storage warehouse projects, the 700 GWP ceiling does not allow R-448A/R-449A. Lower-GWP refrigerants remain required for that subsector.

What the Final Rule Changes

GWP ceilings transition to the original 150 or 300 limits on Jan. 1, 2032. The retail food – remote condensing units category includes typical walk-in installations for restaurants, schools, and other applications with remote refrigeration. This is the category that primarily affects FEDA members. The new ceilings for remote condensing units and cold storage warehouses take effect 60 days after publication.

What the Final Rule Does Not Change

• Existing installed equipment: The final rule governs new installations only.
• Self-contained refrigeration equipment, including walk-ins with integrated refrigeration: The original 150 GWP limit remains in effect for those applications.