In May 32 HVAC&R companies sent a letter urging President Trump to submit the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to the U.S. Senate for ratification.

The Kigali Amendment calls for a phase down in the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) worldwide. The companies represented in the letter include Rheem Manufacturing, Honeywell, Danfoss North America, Emerson, Johnson Controls, Lennox International and The Dow Chemical Company.

“We believe this action will help secure a position of strength for American companies in a highly competitive global market for next generation air conditioning, refrigeration, thermal insulation, aerosols, medical uses, fire suppression, semiconductors and other technologies that utilize fluorocarbons,” the letter read. “With Senate ratification comes American technological leadership, and a head-start for American industry in the global race to provide the world with state-of-the-art products. As such, we believe that the Kigali Amendment represents a chance to put America first, and to keep American workers at the forefront of these important global industries.”

“This is a critical issue for American jobs and the economy,” the letter continues. “Studies show that ratification of the Kigali amendment will increase U.S. manufacturing jobs by 33,000, increase exports by $5 billion, and improve the overall balance of trade for these products. On the other hand, failure to ratify the Kigali Amendment could transfer the current competitive advantage from America to other countries, like China. As an example, a 2016 U.S. International Trade Commission anti-dumping decision regarding fluorocarbons was decided against Chinese companies.”

The Kigali Amendment has been ratified by 35 of 197 signatory nations, and will go into effect on January 1, 2019.

To read the full letter and view the complete list of supporting companies, click here: http://www.alliancepolicy.org/downloads/CEO_Letter_Final_5-22-18.pdf