U.S. exits carbon talks on shipping, urges others to follow, document says
The United States has withdrawn from talks in London looking at advancing decarbonization in the shipping sector, and Washington will consider "reciprocal measures" to offset any fees charged to U.S. ships, according to a diplomatic note seen by Reuters.
Delegates are at the U.N. shipping agency's headquarters this week for negotiations over decarbonization measures aimed at enabling the global shipping industry to reach net zero by "around 2050."
A State Department spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that Washington would not be "engaging in negotiations" at the U.N.'s International Maritime Organization (IMO), adding that it was the administration's policy to put U.S. interests first in the "development and negotiation of any international agreements."
An initial proposal by a bloc of countries including the European Union, which was submitted to the IMO, had sought to reach agreement for the world's first carbon levy for shipping on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
"The U.S. rejects any and all efforts to impose economic measures against its ships based on GHG emissions or fuel choice," according to a diplomatic demarche sent to ambassadors by the United States on Tuesday.
"For these reasons the U.S. is not engaging in negotiations at the IMO 3rd Marine Environment Protection Committee from 7-11 April and urges your government to reconsider its support for the GHG emissions measures under consideration."
It was not clear how many of the IMO's 176-member countries received the note. The IMO had not yet received any communication, an IMO spokesperson said on Wednesday.
"Should such a blatantly unfair measure go forward, our government will consider reciprocal measures so as 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," the note from Washington said.
Washington also opposed "any proposed measure that would fund any unrelated environmental or other projects outside the shipping sector," the note added.
Shipping, which transports around 90% of world trade and accounts for nearly 3% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions, has faced calls from environmentalists and investors to deliver more concrete action, including a carbon levy.
IMO discussions continued on Wednesday despite the move by the U.S., delegates involved said.
"The U.S. is one of 176 IMO member states. While their impact on this process is considerable, we cannot afford to let a squall from one nation blow all of us off course," said Albon Ishoda, the Marshall Islands special envoy for maritime decarbonization.
"In this time of instability in the markets, a clear direction from this IMO meeting is needed more than ever. We are going to continue negotiating with those that are prepared to talk."
China and Brazil are among a number of countries that opposed a flat carbon levy on shipping as they argued it would penalize trade-reliant emerging economies.
In January, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement for a second time, placing the world's top historic emitter of greenhouse gases outside the global pact aimed at pushing nations to tackle climate change.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
2 hours ago
- Japan Times
World Bank slashes global growth forecast as trade tensions bite
The World Bank on Tuesday slashed its global growth forecast for 2025 by 0.4 percentage point to 2.3%, saying that higher tariffs and heightened uncertainty posed a "significant headwind" for nearly all economies. In its twice-yearly Global Economic Prospects report, the bank lowered its forecasts for nearly 70% of all economies — including the United States, China and Europe, as well as six emerging market regions — from the levels it projected just six months ago before U.S. President Donald Trump took office. Trump has upended global trade with a series of on-again, off-again tariff hikes that have increased the effective U.S. tariff rate from below 3% to the mid-teens — its highest level in almost a century — and triggered retaliation by China and other countries. The World Bank is the latest body to cut its growth forecast as a result of Trump's erratic trade policies, although U.S. officials insist the negative consequences will be offset by a surge in investment and still-to-be approved tax cuts. The bank stopped short of forecasting a recession, but said global economic growth this year would be its weakest outside of a recession since 2008. By 2027, global gross domestic product growth was expected to average just 2.5%, the slowest pace of any decade since the 1960s. The report forecast that global trade would grow by 1.8% in 2025, down from 3.4% in 2024 and roughly a third of its 5.9% level in the 2000s. The forecast is based on tariffs in effect as of late May, including a 10% U.S. tariff on imports from most countries. It excludes increases announced by Trump in April and then postponed until July 9 to allow for negotiations. The bank said global inflation was expected to reach 2.9% in 2025, remaining above pre-COVID levels, given tariff increases and tight labor markets. "Risks to the global outlook remain tilted decidedly to the downside," the bank wrote. It said its models showed that a further 10-percentage point increase in average U.S. tariffs, on top of the 10% rate already implemented, and proportional retaliation by other countries, could shave another 0.5 percentage point off the outlook for 2025. Such an escalation in trade barriers would result "in global trade seizing up in the second half of this year ... accompanied by a widespread collapse in confidence, surging uncertainty and turmoil in financial markets," the report said. Nonetheless, it said the risk of a global recession was less than 10%. 'Fog on a runway' Top officials from the United States and China are meeting in London this week to try to defuse a trade dispute that has widened from tariffs to restrictions over rare earth minerals, threatening a global supply chain shock and slower growth. "Uncertainty remains a powerful drag, like fog on a runway. It slows investment and clouds the outlook," World Bank Deputy Chief Economist Ayhan Kose said in an interview. But he said there were signs of increased dialogue on trade that could help dispel uncertainty, and supply chains were adapting to a new global trade map, not collapsing. Global trade growth could see a modest rebound in 2026 to 2.4%, and developments in artificial intelligence could also boost growth, he said. "We think that eventually the uncertainty will decline," he said. "Once the type of fog we have lifts, the trade engine may start running again, but at a slower pace." Kose said while things could get worse, trade was continuing and China, India and others were still delivering robust growth. Many countries were also discussing new trade partnerships that could pay dividends later, he said. U.S. growth forecast cut sharply The World Bank said the global outlook had "deteriorated substantially" since January, mainly due to advanced economies, now seen growing by just 1.2%, down half a point, after expanding 1.7% in 2024. The U.S. forecast was slashed by 0.9 percentage point from its January forecast to 1.4%, and the 2026 outlook was lowered by 0.4 percentage point to 1.6%. Rising trade barriers, "record-high uncertainty" and a spike in financial market volatility were expected to weigh on private consumption, trade and investment, it said. Growth estimates in the euro area were cut by 0.3 percentage point to 0.7% and in Japan by 0.5 percentage point to 0.7%. It said emerging markets and developing economies were expected to grow by 3.8% in 2025 versus 4.1% in January's forecast. Poor countries would suffer the most, the report said. By 2027 developing economies' per capita GDP would be 6% below pre-pandemic levels, and it could take these countries — minus China — two decades to recoup the economic losses of the 2020s. Mexico, heavily dependent on trade with the U.S., saw its growth forecast cut by 1.3 percentage points to 0.2% in 2025. The World Bank left its forecast for China unchanged at 4.5% from January, saying Beijing still had monetary and fiscal space to support its economy and stimulate growth.
NHK
2 hours ago
- NHK
Trump administration sending Marines to LA in response to immigration protests
The administration of US President Donald Trump says it is sending Marines to Los Angeles in response to protests over its immigration policy. It earlier deployed National Guard troops to the city. The protests started last week over a crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Some protesters have turned violent. On Monday, demonstrations took place in several locations in the central part of the city. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday about 700 Marines will be sent to the Los Angeles area. The Wall Street Journal said that the last time Marines were deployed to quell civil unrest in the country was during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The Associated Press quoted a US official as saying Marines will have protective equipment including helmets, shields and gas masks. California Governor Gavin Newsom has criticized the decision to deploy Marines as excessive. Protests against the immigration policy have spread to other parts of the country including New York, San Francisco and cities in Texas.
Kyodo News
3 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: June 10, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 2 hours ago - 20:00 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- G7 leaders may skip joint declaration, 1st since 2014: Japan source TOKYO - The Group of Seven nations are likely to skip a joint statement at the end of an upcoming three-day summit in Canada, a Japanese government source said Tuesday, marking the first time since 2014 the meeting would conclude without a consensus document. The move is apparently aimed at preventing the G7, known for its unity in tacking global challenges, from exposing internal divisions as leaders gather for their first in-person meeting since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January. ---------- Japan ruling bloc OKs campaigning on cash handouts in summer election TOKYO - Japan's ruling parties agreed Tuesday to include cash handouts for households hit by rising prices in their platforms for this summer's House of Councillors election, senior lawmakers said. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition force, unveiled its election pledges Tuesday, highlighting a proposal to suspend the 8 percent consumption tax on food for at least one year, in sharp contrast with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which opposes tax cuts. ---------- Japan urges Iran not to "miss opportunity" for nuke deal with U.S. TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Tuesday urged his Iranian counterpart not to "miss the opportunity" to reach a nuclear deal with the United States, as Japan seeks to help advance what appears to be delicate bilateral negotiations. During their phone talks, Iwaya was also quoted by his ministry as telling Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi that Japan will continue to make "utmost diplomatic efforts" toward a peaceful resolution, while they agreed to keep close communication. ---------- China's Xi urges new S. Korean leader Lee to improve bilateral ties BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping urged new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to promote a bilateral strategic cooperative partnership in their first telephone conversation on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. In a veiled reference to high U.S. tariffs imposed under President Donald Trump, Xi called for China and South Korea to "jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade" and "ensure the stable and smooth functioning of global and regional industrial and supply chains," the ministry said. ---------- Toyota, Daimler ink Japanese truck units merger deal for April 2026 TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp. and Daimler Truck Holding AG said Tuesday they concluded an agreement to merge their Japanese truck subsidiaries under a new holding company, aiming to boost competitiveness and better respond to challenges posed by energy transition and technological innovation. Hino Motors Ltd., a subsidiary of Toyota Motor, and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp., a unit of Daimler, will operate under the holding company to be set up in April 2026 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Prime Market, with the parent companies each holding a 25 percent stake in the new firm. ---------- 4-meter-long sinkhole appears in southwestern Japan, no one injured FUKUOKA - A 4-meter-long sinkhole opened near a busy shopping district in central Fukuoka on Tuesday morning, forcing a closure of the area, though no injuries were reported. Police received an emergency call at 9:50 a.m. reporting a collapsed sidewalk along a major road in the city. The hole, which spanned both the road and the sidewalk, measured about 2 meters wide and 2 meters deep, they said. ---------- Ex-Taiwan ruling party members indicted over spying for China TAIPEI - Four former members of Taiwan's ruling party were indicted Tuesday over spying for mainland China in violation of the self-ruled island's security laws. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office said the four male suspects, including a former aide to former Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, had collaborated to gather and provide confidential government information to Chinese intelligence agents. ---------- Over half obtain political news via mass media in Japan: survey TOKYO - Over half of respondents said they obtain news about elections and politics from the mass media, while about 10 percent rely on social media, according to a survey released Tuesday by a think tank affiliated with an internet news app company. Although the mass media has recently been criticized for lacking neutrality and objectivity, 68.7 percent said the information they provide is "reliable," with 9.0 percent rating it "very reliable" and 59.7 percent "relatively reliable." Video: Rainy season begins in western, central Japan regions
