International Maritime Organization postpones carbon tax for ships under pressure from the US
Photo: EPA

On October 17, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) postponed for a year the final decision on the introduction of a carbon tax on cargo ships. About this it says on the IMO website.

The motion to postpone was introduced by Singapore and put to a vote by Saudi Arabia. It was approved by 57 votes to 49, with the rest of the 176 IMO member states absent or abstaining, sharpened The New York Times.

Although in April this plan had clear international support, but this week it faltered under pressure from the United States.

Last week, the State Department threatened countries that vote in favor of the future Net Zero Framework (NZF), visa restrictions for seafarers, penalty fees for ships, and even sanctions against government officials who are deemed to be "sponsoring activist-driven climate policies."

On the eve of the vote, President Donald Trump said that "the United States will not support this new global green shipping tax and will not comply with it in any form".

The International Chamber of Shipping, which represents more than 80% of the world's fleet, said it was disappointed with the outcome and that uncertainty over the future plan jeopardizes the investment needed to make the sector cleaner.

  • Net Zero Framework if passed, would require cargo ships weighing 5,000 tons or more to pay a fee if their carbon dioxide emissions exceed a threshold level, essentially rewarding ships that use cleaner fuels.
  • If approved this week, the levy would come into effect in 2028 and would be the first time an entire industry would pay for climate pollution.