WASHINGTON: The United States has threatened sanctions and other punitive measures against any country voting for a United Nations-proposed carbon tax on maritime transport.
A joint statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his counterparts at the energy and transportation departments vowed to protect American economic interests.
The officials stated they would impose costs on nations supporting the Net Zero Framework.
Members of the London-based International Maritime Organization will vote next week on adopting the Net Zero Framework agreement.
This agreement aims to reduce global carbon emissions from the shipping sector.
Washington described the proposal as a global carbon tax on the world.
Since returning to power in January, US President Donald Trump has reversed the nation’s climate change policies.
Trump has denounced climate change as a scam and encouraged fossil fuel use through deregulation.
In their statement, Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy unequivocally rejected the NZF proposal.
They threatened a range of punishing actions against countries voting for the framework.
These actions include visa restrictions and blocking vessels from those nations from US ports.
The United States will also impose commercial penalties and consider sanctions on officials.
The statement declared the US would levy these remedies against nations sponsoring this European-led initiative.
It characterised the climate regulations as a neocolonial export. – AFP
