CPSC Eliminates Unnecessary Fuel Additive Regulations, Saving American Businesses Up to $10.7 Billion

Agency delivers major deregulatory action under President Trump's agenda, eliminating costly requirements without weakening consumer safety protections

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today announced a major deregulatory action eliminating unnecessary federal requirements for fuel additives, saving American businesses up to an estimated $10.7 billion over 30 years while preserving existing consumer safety protections.

The action clarifies that fuel additives used to clean engines, improve performance, extend engine life, prevent weather-related effects, or stabilize fuel are not “flammable liquid fuels” under the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act. As a result, manufacturers will not be required to equip containers for these products with costly flame mitigation devices intended for gasoline cans and other portable fuel containers.

The action eliminates an estimated $545.7 million in annual regulatory costs and protects small businesses from disproportionate regulatory burdens. CPSC's economic analysis found that smaller manufacturers, many of which depend heavily on fuel additive sales, would have faced substantial packaging costs if they had to comply with requirements never intended for their products. The action also protects American consumers from unnecessary price increases and preserves access to widely used engine maintenance products.

“This is what meaningful deregulation looks like: eliminating billions of dollars in unnecessary costs while keeping consumer safety protections firmly in place,” said Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman. “Congress imposed these requirements on fuel containers, not products designed to clean and maintain engines. Washington should not force American businesses to spend billions complying with regulations that were never intended to apply to their products in the first place.”

“President Trump has directed federal agencies to eliminate unnecessary regulatory burdens, and CPSC is delivering. The Supreme Court made clear in Loper Bright that agencies must follow the best reading of the law, not interpretations that expand their regulatory authority. A federal court has already recognized that these additives are not fuel. Today, we're putting that principle into practice, restoring regulatory clarity, and making clear that CPSC will not impose requirements beyond those authorized by Congress.”

The action advances President Trump's Executive Order 14192, “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation,” and reinforces CPSC's commitment to ensuring that federal regulations are grounded in statutory authority, impose no unnecessary costs, and provide clear, predictable requirements for American businesses.

Existing flame mitigation requirements for gasoline cans and other covered portable fuel containers remain unchanged. CPSC has identified no reported flame-jetting incidents involving the fuel additives in containers covered by this action.