HVAC coalition presses feds for tariff relief, USMCA support 

A coalition of HVAC associations on Wednesday submitted a letter to the U.S. government on behalf of the industry, calling for tariff relief and urging support for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) amid ongoing trade disputes among the three countries.

The backdrop: The U.S. in July declined to renew the USMCA — the trade agreement that has insulated the HVAC industry from the brunt of tariff impacts since March 2025 via exemptions — transitioning the pact into a 10-year cycle of annual reviews.

• Meanwhile, separate sets of active tariffs — Section 232 and 301 — have kept certain equipment and component costs elevated; however, the Trump administration in June lowered steel, aluminum, and copper derivative tariffs affecting residential HVAC products under Section 232 from 25 percent to 15 percent through the end of 2027. 

What’s happening: The letter, penned by ACCA, AHRI, HARDI, and PHCC, was sent to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer, and comes one week after Canada enacted retaliatory tariffs on the U.S., focusing on sectors including steel, appliances, and electronics. It outlines three requests:

• Provide broad Section 232 relief for USMCA-originating HVACR goods.
• Preserve workable rules of origin for HVACR products and components.
• And maintain USMCA exemptions in future tariff actions to provide market certainty.

Go deeper: According to the letter, the value of HVACR products supplied to the U.S. by North American manufacturers, including in the United States, grew at more than twice the rate of HVACR products imported from outside North America between 2018 and 2025.

• “The predictable trading framework established by the USMCA has helped companies make long-term investments in North American production, build regional supplier relationships, and supply the U.S. market efficiently,” the letter states.
• Across the HVACR industry, 1.9 million workers benefit from the USMCA, the letter says. 

Between the lines: The coalition urged the USTR to “pursue an approach under which USMCA-originating HVACR equipment, parts, and components are broadly exempt from Section 232 duties on steel, aluminum, copper, and covered derivative products, or receive comparable relief that recognizes their qualifying North American production.” 

• “Such treatment would reinforce the incentive to manufacture and source within North America while reducing unnecessary costs on essential HVACR products,” the groups wrote. 

What they’re saying: “Maintaining a strong and predictable USMCA will support continued investment in HVACR manufacturing across North America, support U.S. workers and businesses throughout the supply chain, and ensure that essential heating, cooling, ventilation, and refrigeration equipment remains available when consumers and businesses need it,” the letter concludes.

Representatives for the USTR and the White House didn’t return requests for comment. 

Read the full letter