ACC CEO Outlines Regulatory Reforms for U.S. Chemical Manufacturing Competitiveness

The CEO of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) addressed regulatory barriers in the U.S. chemical industry during an event hosted by the Daily Caller on April 21, 2026. Chris Jahn, the ACC CEO, stated that changes to manufacturing regulations are necessary to enhance U.S. production of affordable, higher-quality goods compared to China.

Jahn spoke at the Daily Caller Live: American Innovation & Manufacturing Renaissance event, sponsored by the ACC. He represents more than 190 companies in the chemistry sector.

explained that the manufacturing sector begins with chemistry, noting that producing a single computer chip requires 500 specialized chemistries. He said that despite investments in the United States, policies related to permitting and the Toxic Substances Control Act complicate the process of obtaining approvals for new molecules.

According to Jahn, companies sometimes seek opportunities overseas due to these regulatory difficulties. He mentioned that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviews chemistries for every possible case rather than specific intended uses.

referred to a bill in the legislature that addresses these issues, with an expiration date at the end of September 2026. He expressed cautious optimism about future policy directions. When asked by Daily Caller CEO Elijah Moorman about the outcomes of effective policies over five years, Jahn stated that such policies would help close the gap with China, the world's top producer of chemicals and plastics.

He emphasized lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, where supply chain vulnerabilities were exposed due to reliance on foreign production. Jahn said that reversing this trend would create a more resilient U.S. manufacturing supply chain, lowering costs for Americans.

He advised policymakers against adopting restrictions similar to those in Europe.

Manufacturing Jahn stated that American success depends on American chemistry. He noted that the Trump administration inherited existing regulatory frameworks, and added that there are no consequences for delays in EPA application reviews. The event included discussions on accountability in the regulatory system to support domestic manufacturing growth.