Two different forms of illegality coexist in the European refrigerant market.
➡️ The first is familiar.
✔️ Refrigerants enter the EU outside the authorised F-Gas quota system, often through channels with limited traceability.
Customs authorities are on the front line. Lower prices create a competitive advantage, while the origin and compliance of these products may remain uncertain.
➡️ The second is less visible, but equally significant.
✔️ Refrigerants can enter the EU under valid quota arrangements, with regular documentation, and be openly offered through established distribution channels.
Yet, their production or commercialisation may still infringe patent rights.
Unlike unauthorised imports, these products are not necessarily counterfeit or technically non-compliant. The issue concerns intellectual property rights and the legal security of their commercialisation.
The recent preliminary injunctions obtained by Solstice Advanced Materials against five exhibitors at Chillventa illustrate how patent enforcement can reach established commercial channels.
➡️ This distinction matters.
Customs controls address unauthorised market entry. Patent enforcement addresses rights that regulatory import compliance does not necessarily cover.
➡️ ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ณ๐๐น.
Market visibility and regulatory compliance alone cannot guarantee the legal security of a supply chain.
Source: Cooling Post, 17 October 2026
https://lnkd.in/eRQkdy-q
