Rubio Rejects UN Call for First Global Carbon Tax on Shipping

The tax could raise international shipping costs by 10 percent or more, warned U.S. officials.

Container ships berthed at a port in Qingdao, China, on Sept. 24, 2025. /AFP via Getty Images

The United States strongly opposes a tax on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in international shipping proposed by the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO), Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an Oct. 15 post on X.

“This week, the UN is attempting to pass the first global carbon tax, which will increase energy, food, and fuel costs across the world. We will not allow the UN to tax American citizens and companies,” Rubio said.