Washington, D.C. – The National Grocers Association (NGA), the nation’s leading trade association for independent supermarket retailers and wholesaler distributors announces its strong support for Congressman Neal Dunn’s (R-FL-02) Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution, H.J. Res. 30 to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Final Rule: Management of Certain HFCs and Their Substitutes Under the AIM Act (the Management Rule).
The Management Rule imposes a series of costly and complex compliance requirements that threaten the viability of independent grocers, particularly smaller businesses with limited resources.
“The EPA’s new refrigeration regulations place an undue financial and operational burden on independent grocers who are already grappling with historic increases in labor, utility, and credit card swipe fee costs. In an industry that sees an average net margin of 1.4%, any additional expenses can be detrimental,” said Chris Jones, chief government relations officer for NGA. “This rulemaking could lead to higher grocery prices for consumers and, in extreme cases, force community grocers to shut their doors. Congressman Dunn’s resolution provides a critical opportunity to protect Main Street businesses and their customers from these onerous mandates.”
“The EPA clearly did not consider the undue burden they would place on American businesses when they finalized their sweeping refrigeration regulation,” said Congressman Dunn. “American grocers and restaurants do not need government regulators in their kitchens and storerooms, driving up operating costs and forcing them to pass that cost on to the consumer. The Congressional Review Act is designed to address egregious over-regulation such as this, and I look forward to stopping bureaucratic red tape from further raising food prices for American families.”
The compliance deadlines, which begin as early as January 1, 2026, combined with inflated costs for new refrigerants and updated equipment, disproportionately affect independent grocers, many of whom cannot implement these changes within the mandated timelines.
In response to the regulatory burdens the Management Rule would inflict on retailers in various industries across the country, NGA led a coalition of industry advocates who issued a joint letter of support for Congressman Dunn’s resolution.
NGA calls on lawmakers in Congress to support Congressman Dunn’s resolution and reject the EPA’s one-size-fits-all approach that fails to account for the unique challenges faced by independent supermarkets across the country.
About NGA
NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers located in every congressional district across the country, as well as state grocers’ associations, manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.
