European Union Agrees to Impose World’s First Carbon Tariff on Imports

European Union Agrees to Impose World’s First Carbon Tariff on Imports
European Union flags are seen outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, on Nov. 14, 2018. Francois Lenoir/Reuters
Naveen Athrappully
Updated:
0:00

The European Union (EU) struck a political deal on Tuesday morning that seeks to impose tariffs on carbon dioxide emissions made by manufacturers of imported goods that are deemed to be polluting, a first of its kind carbon tariff.

The members of the European Parliament arrived at an agreement with the European Council on the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) aimed at supporting European industries as the region pushes forward with its decarbonization plans. The deal seeks to equalize the price of carbon paid for EU products operating under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and imported goods.