Australia Reduces HFC Import Quota by 19% from January 2026, Accelerating Phase-Down to 85% by 2036

Australia Reduces HFC Import Quota by 19% from January 2026, Accelerating Phase-Down to 85% by 2036

Australia: As of 1 January 2026, Australia reduced its HFC import quota by 19%, setting the 2026–27 limit at 4.25 million tonnes CO₂-equivalent, nearly 50% below the original baseline, with the phasedown scheduled to reach an 85% reduction by 2036. The second half of 2025 saw a decisive shift away from certain high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, though current demand for high-GWP products remains unsustainable under tightening quota restrictions. As a result, high-GWP refrigerants are expected to face reduced wholesale availability and continued price volatility, particularly legacy blends, reinforcing the need to transition to lower-GWP alternatives and utilize refrigerant stewardship programs for large system replacements. Certain refrigerants within the Gas2Go range have reached or are nearing end-of-life, including R507, R407F, R438A and R422D, while R404A, R410A and R407C are likely to experience constrained supply through and beyond 2026.

Source: Kirby HVAC&R Pty Ltd.