A new analysis released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce demonstrates that widespread bans on essential chemistries, including PFAS, could have profound impacts on the daily lives of millions of Americans and disrupt the U.S. economy.
As part of the U.S. Chamber's Essential Chemistry for America initiative, the Chamber engaged third-party experts in environmental and economic policy to evaluate the economic and fiscal impacts of specific sectors reliant on essential fluorochemistries across the U.S. economy.
This report examines the dependence of seven critical U.S. sectors, including aerospace manufacturing, data centers, defense equipment and systems, energy transition, health care, mobility, and semiconductors on essential fluorochemistries, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances. Essential fluorochemistries are vital for numerous technologies due to their reliability, effectiveness, and durability.
In aerospace manufacturing, fluoropolymers are used to manufacture hydraulic systems, wiring, and insulation materials, which enhances the durability of aircraft. Fluorinated gases, or F-gases, are a climate-friendly innovate chemistry that is crucial to the operation of data centers by providing superior air cooling and fire suppression systems, which enable them to be efficient and safe. Essential fluorochemistries are integral to the manufacture of guided missiles and tanks in the defense sector because they function well in extreme environments.
Fluorochemistries support the energy transition by providing critical materials that improve the efficiency and lifespan of renewable energy technologies, including solar panels, wind turbines, and lithium-ion batteries. Fluorochemistries in health care are vital to the production of medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and diagnostic equipment, ensuring high standards of performance and safety. The mobility sector utilizes fluoropolymers to increase the lifespan and performance of mechanical components, such as air-conditioning systems, electronics, and electric vehicle batteries.
Today’s fluorochemistries, including many PFAS, possess a unique combination of properties to repel water, withstand heat, and many other critical properties that make them durable, efficient, versatile, reliable, and often irreplaceable across critical sectors.
Fluorochemistries are essential to American innovation. They support critical manufacturing sectors, provide well-paying jobs, and enhance our national security.
More than 6 million Americans work in sectors dependent on fluorochemistries, providing over $2.4 trillion in output and nearly $1 trillion in GDP.
These essential chemistries are produced and used in safe and effective ways that minimize risk to health and the environment.
Estimates are that the transition to potential replacements could take decades.
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