In Washington, the United States issued a detailed warning on October 10 threatening sanctions, visa restrictions, and commercial penalties against countries that support the International Maritime Organization’s proposed Net-Zero Framework. The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee is meeting in London from October 14 to 17 to decide whether to adopt the plan as a binding global mandate.
In a joint statement titled “Taking Action to Defend America from the UN’s First Global Carbon Tax,” Secretary of State Rubio, Secretary of Energy Wright, and Secretary of Transportation Duffy said the framework “is effectively a global carbon tax on Americans levied by an unaccountable UN organization.” The framework includes a global fuel standard and a pricing mechanism on greenhouse gas emissions from ships.
The U.S. said it may launch investigations into “anti-competitive practices” by nations backing the measure, block vessels from those countries at U.S. ports, and impose higher port fees. The statement also threatened visa restrictions for foreign maritime crews, new limits on C‑1/D visas, and penalties on government contracts for shipbuilding and energy infrastructure. Sanctions on foreign officials promoting “activist-driven climate policies” are also under consideration.
“We will fight hard to protect our economic interests by imposing costs on countries if they support the NZF,” the statement read.
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Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels
