The United States government has issued a joint statement rejecting the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) proposed “Net-Zero Framework,” which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the global shipping sector. The statement was released by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.
According to the statement, President Trump opposes any international environmental agreement that is seen as placing an unfair burden on the United States or harming American interests. The officials argue that the IMO’s framework functions as a global carbon tax imposed by an international body without accountability to U.S. citizens.
“These fuel standards would conveniently benefit China by requiring the use of expensive fuels unavailable at global scale. These standards would also preclude the use of proven technologies that fuel global shipping fleets, including lower emissions options where U.S. industry leads such as liquified natural gas (LNG) and biofuels,” the statement reads.
The administration claims that if adopted, ships not meeting new fuel standards and emissions targets would face fees, increasing costs for energy, transportation, leisure cruises, and even small vessels—costs they say will be passed on to American consumers.
“The Trump Administration unequivocally rejects this proposal before the IMO and will not tolerate any action that increases costs for our citizens, energy providers, shipping companies and their customers, or tourists. We will fight hard to protect the American people and their economic interests. Our fellow IMO members should be on notice that we will look for their support against this action and not hesitate to retaliate or explore remedies for our citizens should this endeavor fail,” according to the statement.
The United States has previously raised concerns about international climate policies it considers detrimental to domestic industries or consumers. The debate over how best to regulate emissions from maritime transport continues among member states of the IMO.
