The United States won its last-ditch effort to block an international carbon tax on the shipping industry, delaying a vote on the proposal by one full year.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz confirmed Friday morning that the Trump administration forced the International Maritime Organization to delay voting on whether to adopt the measure, also known as the net-zero framework.
“Huge push by @SecRubio and the State Dept team,” Waltz said in a post to X.
“Strong diplomacy that put American business and consumers first WON THE DAY over an ideological carbon tax from the UN and EU,” he continued.
The motion to delay the vote on the measure was reportedly put forward by Singapore on Friday and called to a vote by Saudi Arabia, which was aligned with the Trump administration in its efforts to block the framework.
Fifty-seven countries voted in favor of delaying the adoption vote and 49 voted against. There were 21 abstentions.
Delaying the vote comes as a shock, as many member states of the IMO, a London-based specialized agency within the U.N., were confident there were enough votes to adopt the measure as international maritime law.
Earlier in the week, the IMO also confirmed to the Washington Examiner that a drafting group has been established to prepare the final text of the revised MARPOL Annex VI 2025, regulations within the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, that would include the framework.
The Trump administration has attempted to block the adoption of the international carbon tax for months, with President Donald Trump escalating pressure Thursday afternoon.
TRUMP SAYS US WON’T COMPLY WITH PROPOSED CARBON TAX ON SHIPPING INDUSTRY
“I am outraged that the International Maritime Organization is voting in London this week to pass a global Carbon Tax,” Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social.
“The United States will NOT stand for this Global Green New Scam Tax on Shipping, and will not adhere to it in any way, shape, or form.”
The net-zero framework needed a two-thirds majority vote in favor to pass as an amendment to the maritime treaty.
Members of the IMO initially voted to approve the framework and carbon tax in April, agreeing to charge shipping companies for greenhouse gas emissions released by their vessels if they exceed a certain threshold.
One of the main purposes of the tax is to accelerate a transition to the use of cleaner fuels for vessels, such as biofuels.
Under the existing proposal, shipowners who exceed a certain threshold would face a minimum tax of $100 for every ton of carbon dioxide emitted over that baseline. Those that exceed higher thresholds would also be forced to pay a $380 fine.
If the measure had been adopted, it would not have gone into effect until 2028.
The International Chamber of Shipping lamented over the failed vote on Friday, with ICS Secretary General Thomas Kazakos saying the industry needs “clarity” on decarbonization strategies.
“As an industry we will continue to work with the IMO, which is the best organisation to deliver the global regulations needed for a global industry,” he said.
The IMO is still scheduled to meet next week to further discuss details of design and implementation of the framework.
Delaying the vote on adopting the carbon tax marks another win for the Trump administration and its efforts to oppose international agreements on climate change.
The administration is likely to increase more pressure on members of the IMO to vote against adopting the framework, preventing the first global carbon pricing system in any industry.
