If the tax measures against some sixty countries, which officially came into force today, were not enough, or the reprisals against China to “regain” possession of the Panama Canal, Trump is now also lashing out at decarbonization. He is threatening new reciprocal measures to compensate for any damage the US might suffer due to the adoption and implementation of any form of penalty based on the “polluter pays” principle.
This is why the US Federal Administration has decided to pull out of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) negotiations currently taking place in London. There are a number of projects on the possible framework of measures to be taken for zeroing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping on the agenda, including the proposal to introduce a fifth chapter to Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which would introduce new standards on the use of marine fuels.
In a memo sent to the embassies of IMO member states, the US federal administration expressed its strong opposition to attempts to impose economic measures on shipping that are based on greenhouse gas emissions or the choice of shipping fuel: “The measures under discussion would impose significant economic burdens on the sector and fuel inflation globally.”
The note urges governments to reconsider their support for these initiatives, threatening to take unspecified reciprocal measures “to offset any fees charged to U.S. ships and compensate the American people for any other economic harm from any adopted GHG emissions measures.”
According to Lloyd’s List’s Richard Meade, the United States is seeking to end IMO negotiations, radically reversing a position that until now had seen it actively collaborate with IMO member states to adopt and develop new strategies on environmental pollution abatement.
Although the clear opposition by the US is not enough to derail the negotiations, the fact that the declaration is accompanied by the direct threat of “reciprocal measures” has the potential to significantly undermine the discussions.
Translation by Giles Foster
