The United States has issued a stern warning to countries planning to back a proposed carbon tax on maritime transport under the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO).
In a joint statement released on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, said the administration would “impose costs” on nations that vote in favor of the Net Zero Framework (NZF), a plan designed to curb global carbon emissions from the shipping industry.
The statement comes ahead of next week’s IMO vote in London, where member states are expected to decide on the adoption of the NZF proposal. The U.S. has sharply criticized the framework, describing it as “a global carbon tax on the world” and warning that it would unfairly burden developing economies.
Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has reversed several climate-related policies, calling climate change a “scam” and rolling back environmental regulations in favor of increased fossil fuel production.
The U.S. further threatened a range of retaliatory measures, including visa restrictions, commercial penalties, and port bans against nations that support what it called a “European-led neocolonial export of climate regulations.”
Analysts say the U.S. stance may deepen divisions within the IMO and complicate global efforts toward decarbonizing the maritime sector.
