Trump administration slams UN shipping emissions plan, threatens retaliation

08/16/2025 / By Laura Harris

The Trump administration strongly opposed a UN proposal to tax maritime shipping emissions, calling it a “global carbon tax on Americans” and warning of possible economic retaliation against countries that support it.
Secretaries Marco Rubio (State), Sean Duffy (Transportation), Chris Wright (Energy) and Howard Lutnick (Commerce) jointly condemned the IMO’s “Net-Zero Framework,” which would penalize high-emission ships starting in 2027.
The rejection aligns with Trump’s broader effort to eliminate foreign influence over U.S. energy policy and assert national control over environmental regulations.
On his first day back in office in January, President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords, arguing it would save the country over $1 trillion and unfairly burden American taxpayers.
The EPA, led by Administrator Lee Zeldin, is rolling back Obama-era climate rules, aiming to ease regulations on automotive and manufacturing sectors and eliminate what the administration calls “hidden taxes” on businesses and families.

The Trump administration has issued a forceful rebuke to a proposed United Nations (UN) plan to tax shipping industry emissions, calling it an “unaccountable global carbon tax on Americans” and threatening economic retaliation against countries that support it.

In a rare joint statement released by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Aug. 12, the administration rejected the “Net-Zero Framework” advanced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN agency tasked with regulating global shipping standards.

The proposal, adopted by an IMO committee in April and set for a full vote in October, aims to curb maritime carbon emissions through a new set of fuel standards and a global pricing mechanism. Under the framework, ships that exceed emissions thresholds would face a punitive fee, while those in compliance would receive financial incentives. If adopted, the changes would take effect in 2027.

The administration condemned the initiative, claiming it would burden U.S. consumers, businesses and energy producers.

“Whatever its stated goals, the proposed framework is effectively a global carbon tax on Americans levied by an unaccountable UN organization. Under this framework, ships will have to pay fees for failing to meet unattainable fuel standards and emissions targets. These fees will drive up energy and transportation and leisure cruise costs.

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,” the statement read. (Related: Global maritime carbon tax sparks debate over economic freedom and climate ambition.)

In turn, the secretaries asserted that the U.S. expects other IMO member nations to reject the amendment, warning that if the proposal moves forward, the U.S. will “not hesitate to retaliate or explore remedies for our citizens should this endeavor fail.”

Trump has been escalating energy sovereignty push since taking office in January

This latest rejection is part of a wider strategy to minimize global governance over American energy and environmental regulations to “reclaim U.S. sovereignty over energy production” and eliminate “crippling globalist restrictions” that harm American businesses and consumers.

On his first day back in office in January, President Donald Trump made headlines by withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords—a landmark international agreement intended to limit global warming. Trump claimed the move would save the country “over a trillion dollars,” citing the agreement’s escalating emissions targets and its calls for developed nations to finance green transitions in less developed countries.

The administration has since moved swiftly to roll back domestic climate rules. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under Administrator Lee Zeldin, is spearheading efforts to dismantle several Obama-era environmental regulations, particularly those affecting the automotive and manufacturing sectors.

Zeldin argued that the deregulatory measures would provide a major economic boost. The rollback includes proposed changes to fuel efficiency standards, emissions limits and permitting requirements, which critics say could significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions.

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