HARDI Applauds Trump Administration Action to Reduce Tariff Pressure on Residential HVAC Equipment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Madison Romero, Public Affairs Associate
Email: mromero@hardinet.org
Direct: 614.345.4328

HARDI Applauds Trump Administration Action to Reduce Tariff Pressure on Residential HVAC Equipment

Columbus, OH — June 2, 2026 — Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) today thanked the Trump administration for issuing a new presidential proclamation that provides targeted tariff relief for certain heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) products that are essential to American homes, small businesses, contractors, and distributors.

The proclamation recognizes that recent changes to Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper created significant cost concerns for HVACR equipment across the country. Without adjustment, those policies risked increasing costs throughout the supply chain and placing additional pressure on contractors, distributors, homeowners, and businesses during peak cooling season. The updated policy provides meaningful relief for many residential HVAC systems and components that had been treated as steel or aluminum derivative products.

“This is a welcome change for the HVACR industry by President Trump,” said Alex Ayers, HARDI’s Vice President of Government Affairs. “HARDI's initial analysis shows the adjustment will help consumers keep nearly $2.3 billion in their pockets by avoiding future price increases resulting from the initial tariff increase. For far too many Americans, an unexpected HVAC replacement reduces their spending power in the months that follow. HARDI estimates that these savings will support $2.9 billion in economic activity and preserve $1.7 billion in value added to GDP over the long run that would have been lost under the previous tariff regime, which will help the American economy to continue to grow.”

HARDI has consistently emphasized that HVACR products are complex, highly engineered systems made from a mix of domestic and globally sourced components, and that tariff structures must reflect the realities of modern manufacturing and distribution. HARDI members and contractors had actively raised these concerns with policymakers in previous months, including during HARDI’s Congressional Fly-In and sending nearly 10,000 messages through the association’s grassroots advocacy platform to the Trump Administration and Congress.

“We appreciate the Administration recognizing that access to affordable heating and cooling is a matter of safety and economic stability for American families and businesses,” Ayers continued. “The new lower threshold for domestic metal content in the proclamation will also help many of the product categories not included in the new HVAC exemption.”

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About HARDI

HARDI (Heating, Air-conditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors International) is the single voice of wholesale distribution within the North American and Latin American HVACR markets.

A non-profit association, HARDI serves its members through government affairs and advocacy efforts, market intelligence and benchmarking, training programs, and world-class events. HARDI proudly represents more than 570 distributor members and their 5,000+ branch locations, and close to 600 suppliers, manufacturer representatives, and service vendors. HARDI Distributor members serve installation and service/replacement contractors in residential and commercial markets, as well as commercial/industrial and institutional maintenance staff. HARDI Affiliate members market, distribute, and support heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration equipment, parts, and supplies.

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