U.S. Warns of sanctions against countries backing Global Maritime Carbon tax

The United States has issued a stern warning to countries planning to vote in favour of a proposed carbon tax on maritime transportation through a United Nations agency, threatening sanctions and other punitive measures.

In a joint statement on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, said Washington “will fight hard to protect our economic interests by imposing costs on countries if they support” the Net Zero Framework (NZF).

The London-based International Maritime Organization (IMO) is expected to vote next week on the NZF, which aims to cut global carbon emissions from shipping.

However, the U.S. government described the initiative as “a global carbon tax on the world,” rejecting it outright. Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has reversed the country’s climate policies, dismissing climate change as a “scam” while promoting fossil fuel deregulation.

The statement warned that countries supporting the NZF could face visa restrictions, port bans on their vessels, commercial penalties, and even sanctions against their officials.

“The United States will be moving to levy these remedies against nations that sponsor this European-led neocolonial export of global climate regulations,” the statement read.