ACC criticises ‘regulatory overreach’

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has launched an initiative called ‘Chemistry Creates, America Competes’. This comes in direct response to what it regards as the Biden administration’s ‘regulatory overreach’ and aims to help the administration and Congress understand the importance of ‘American Chemistry’.

“Computer chips, medicines, housing, infrastructure, and energy are all made possible by America’s chemical industry,” said Chris Jahn, president and CEO of the ACC (pictured). “Unfortunately, a surge in unduly restrictive regulations and a lack of coordination in the Biden administration is putting it all at risk.”

The association highlighted new proposed restrictions that could limit access to, and significantly increase the cost of, essential products. Some of these, it said, propose bans or regulate specific chemicals at such low levels that manufacturing becomes virtually impossible. The ACC therefore called for:

* The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to be empowered to evaluate all significant rulemaking through the lens of potential impacts to the supply chain, trade, national security, energy, climate, healthcare, infrastructure, technology, etc.

* Someone with economic expertise to be assigned, preferably within the White House, who can objectively assess the impact of proposed regulations on the supply chain and the ability to achieve national goals

* Congress to examine how overly conservative regulations could cut off access to products and technologies needed to support US-made energy, vehicles, infrastructure, healthcare and semiconductors

* If necessary, Congress to consider legislation to improve the regulatory process, streamline permits and focus regulations on “more flexible, smart, science-based policy approaches”

The ACC has also recently expressed concern about the shutdown of critical gateways for moving commercial traffic between the US and Mexico and urged policymakers to find a workable solution to resume normal trade as quickly as possible. Closing crossings, even temporarily, poses a major problem for chemical trade between the two nations, which amounted to $40 billion in 2022, it said.