Trump fixed another Biden mistake.
President Donald Trump announced a major rollback of costly Biden-era environmental regulations Thursday, a move supporters say could help lower grocery prices, reduce business costs, and protect small-town America from another wave of inflation.
Joined by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and several grocery industry leaders, Trump unveiled changes to federal refrigerant rules that businesses warned would have forced expensive equipment replacements across the country.
According to the administration, the reforms are expected to save Americans roughly $2.4 billion.
The Biden administration’s original regulations targeted refrigeration systems that use hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), chemicals linked to global warming concerns. But critics argued the rules moved too fast, forcing grocery stores, restaurants, trucking companies, and small businesses to spend enormous sums replacing equipment that was still working properly.
Trump officials said the rollback will save nearly $900 million by stopping the aggressive phase-out of industrial refrigeration systems. Another $1.5 billion in savings is expected from easing rules on refrigerated transportation trucks.
Speaking at the White House, Zeldin said Americans were frustrated by what he called unrealistic government mandates that increased costs during an already difficult economy.
“Businesses were being forced to replace reliable equipment with systems that were far more expensive,” Zeldin said. “That cost would eventually hit American families at the grocery store, in restaurants, and through higher transportation prices.”
Several grocery executives praised the decision, warning that the Biden-era rules could have dramatically increased food prices nationwide.
Kroger CEO Greg Foran said businesses need time to transition equipment responsibly instead of being forced into rushed upgrades that drive up operating costs.
“When companies avoid massive replacement expenses, consumers benefit too,” Foran explained. “It helps us continue working to keep prices lower.”
Independent grocery store owners said the impact on smaller communities could have been devastating.
Kevin McDaniel, who operates hundreds of Piggly Wiggly supermarkets throughout the Southeast, warned that compliance costs could have reached as high as $1.5 million per location.
“This wasn’t just swapping out refrigerant,” McDaniel said. “Entire systems would have needed to be replaced.”
He added that many smaller operators simply could not absorb those costs and would likely have shut down permanently.
Jonathan Gay, who owns a grocery store in rural Georgia, said the regulations threatened communities that already struggle to maintain access to fresh food and affordable groceries.
“I’m the only grocery store serving thousands of residents in my county,” Gay explained. “If stores like ours disappear, entire communities suffer.”
The EPA estimates grocery stores alone could save roughly $800 million under the updated policy.
The move is part of Trump’s broader effort to reverse regulations his administration believes have contributed to rising living costs, higher energy bills, and economic pressure on working Americans.
Trump argued the changes will help reduce costs across multiple industries without hurting economic growth.
“Americans deserve lower grocery prices, lower transportation costs, and affordable air conditioning,” Trump said. “We’re bringing common sense back.”