The United States is continuing its efforts to scupper a global carbon tax on shipping by lobbying other countries over the costs that measure would impose.
The Trump administration has been circulating flyers at this week’s gathering of the International Maritime Organization. One person with knowledge of the talks, granted anonymity in order to speak candidly, described the content as a “skewed” economic analysis of the impact on certain countries.
The flyers, confirmed by two other people familiar with the talks who were granted anonymity to avoid retribution, outline the projected costs of implementing a proposed carbon tax on shipping pollution. One flyer, shared with POLITICO, shows that trade costs for one middle-income country for complying with the levy could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Shipowners are expected to pass those costs on through higher freight rates “directly increasing the costs of trade for all importing and exporting nations,” that flyer says.
