Your Voice

A new era of GCCA advocacy combines global thought leadership with targeted action that delivers results.

Members gathered in San Antonio, Texas, for the GCCA Annual Convention, hear from GCCA’s new global advocacy team on how we’re building on strong foundations to make sure the cold chain’s voice is heard where industry-shaping decisions are made.

GCCA is proud of its long tradition of advocating for our essential industry, earning a reputation as a reliable, influential partner to governments. That credibility was built in the United States through work with federal regulators and leaders on Capitol Hill.

In recent years, we’ve expanded our presence in Canada, Brazil, and Europe. Our goal now is to lock in those gains, elevate our profile, and extend our reach.

A Well-Defined Agenda

Being an influential global voice for the cold chain requires focus and a clear framework. The GCCA Board has adopted a Legislative and Regulatory Priorities Framework built around three strategic themes:

• Resilient Infrastructure – Advance investment, safety, energy security, and preparedness to keep facilities and operations strong.
• Safe and Secure Trade – Enable smooth cross-border movement, modern inspection processes, and recognition of the cold chain’s role in food and pharmaceutical safety.
• Sustainable Supply Chains – Champion policies that cut food waste, improve emissions tracking and reporting, support energy efficiency, and enable realistic decarbonization.

Making an Impact

Creating this framework was an opportunity for us to take stock of our ongoing work and confirm that, while contexts vary, the core challenges and opportunities the cold chain offers are remarkably consistent worldwide. In San Antonio, colleagues shared examples of progress already underway.

Safe and Secure Trade

In 2025, GCCA secured a key change that allowed U.S. cold warehouses to be designated as inland inspection facilities (I-houses) even when they are located more than 50 miles from a port of entry. This seemingly small shift opens the door for more third-party logistics facilities to offer high-value services to customers. We’re pursuing similar modernization of import clearance rules to ease congestion in Brazil, Canada, Africa, and Europe.

We also see major potential to reduce regulatory burdens and improve the reliability and productivity of export processes in the United States and beyond. We’re working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the inspection authorities to explore ways to streamline export inspections for cold storage warehouses and transportation hubs – a model that, if successful in the United States, can be replicated globally.

Resilient Infrastructure

This summer, GCCA hosted the first European Parliament roundtable on food security focused explicitly on the cold chain. Attended by Members of the European Parliament, European Commission officials, and other stakeholders, the event supported the forthcoming EU Stockpiling Strategy within the broader Preparedness Agenda. Our priorities are investment in new cold chain infrastructure, reliable access to affordable energy, and support for innovative technologies.

Across governments and international forums, logistics infrastructure is increasingly recognized as central to economic and geopolitical resilience – and we’re ensuring the cold chain’s needs are prioritized.

Sustainable Supply Chains

As governments balance sustainability ambitions with growth and resilience, we’re positioning the cold chain as a practical, solutions-oriented partner.

In the United States, we support legislation that highlights and rewards cold chain businesses that enable food redistribution.

In the United States and Europe, we’re working to ensure phasedown rules for refrigerants are realistic for cold storage transport and warehousing, and that Scope 3 emissions accounting treats cold chain operations fairly and consistently.

By leveraging our unique position as the only global voice for businesses that own and operate the cold chain, we pair global thought leadership with targeted, tactical action that delivers results.

Stay Engaged

To learn more about GCCA’s advocacy work – or to receive our regular updates for the United States, Canada, and Europe – contact Kerri Marbut at kmarbut@gcca.org.

Media Contact

For media inquiries, please contact: Lindsay Shelton-Gross, Senior Vice President, Global Communications, Marketing and Strategic Initiatives, Global Cold Chain Alliance.