Is it true that…

Are there any regulations currently in force or soon to be introduced in the North American market that prohibit the import of air conditioners from the EU if they use high GWP refrigerants?

False

The United States has established a program to restrict the use of refrigerants with a high Global Warming Potential (GWP). The relevant provisions are set out in the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act. The only import bans affecting air conditioners apply to:

• Stationary residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pumps, units for residential and light commercial applications, fitted with gas with GWP greater than 700 from 1/1/2025
• Data centres, computer room air conditioning, and IT equipment cooling, units for cooling data centre and IT applications, equipped with gases with a GWP greater than 700 from 1/1/2027

Therefore, Cosmotec air conditioners designed for industrial applications are not subject to the restrictions imposed by this regulation..

Regarding Canada, the “Ozone-depleting Substances and Halocarbon Alternatives Regulations (ODSHAR)” do not impose restrictions on air conditioners.

The applicable regulatory requirement therefore remains the European F-Gas Regulation, which sets a maximum GWP limit of 1000 for the export of monobloc air conditioners outside the EU starting from January 1, 2027. Cosmotec has already introduced Protherm Compact air conditioners using R513A (GWP 631). In the coming months, the same refrigerant will also be available in the Protherm range.