The United States has issued a warning that it may impose sanctions and other punitive measures on any country that votes in favor of a proposed carbon tax on maritime transport under a United Nations framework.
In a joint statement on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, vowed to “vigorously defend US economic interests” by imposing costs on nations that support the Net Zero Framework (NZF).
Members of the London-based International Maritime Organization (IMO) are expected to vote next week on the NZF, a plan designed to reduce carbon emissions in the global shipping industry.
Washington, however, criticized the initiative, calling it “a global carbon tax on the world.”
Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has reversed the United States’ previous climate policies, dismissing climate change as a “scam” and promoting fossil fuel expansion through deregulation.
The statement from Rubio, Wright, and Duffy declared that the Trump administration “unequivocally rejects” the NZF proposal and warned of severe consequences for nations that endorse it.
The potential measures include visa bans, restrictions on vessels registered in those countries from entering US ports, commercial penalties, and even sanctions on government officials.
“The United States will take these actions against nations that back this European-driven, neocolonial attempt to export global climate regulations,” the statement added.
