US Pressure Delays Shipping Carbon-Price Vote — IMO Says Industry Still Committed to 2050 Decarbonisation

UN shipping regulator: talks delayed but decarbonisation goal remains

Threats, intimidation and allegations of harassment by some US negotiators at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) last month chilled climate diplomats and delayed a planned global shipping carbon-price vote ahead of the COP30 summit in Belem.

Brazil had expected a united outcome at the November IMO talks, but the unusually undiplomatic scenes raised concern about the future of multilateral progress. Despite reports that the United States might skip the climate summit, Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged delegates at COP30 to negotiate in good faith and reject the "pressure and threats" seen at the IMO.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, a Panamanian who is roughly halfway through his four-year term, told AFP that Washington's conduct — including reported threats of sanctions, visa bans and port levies against countries that did not vote as it wished — was "not typical" for the organisation. Dominguez spoke in Belem about the disputed meeting and the path forward.

Interview highlights

Q: The shipping carbon-price proposal appeared close to approval until US officials warned of retaliation and the vote was deferred. Is this level of pressure normal at the IMO?

A: "In my 28 years I have never experienced that kind of meeting at the IMO. It was not a typical IMO meeting. Geopolitical situations around the world right now are different to where they were in the past. We all know that. But for me, the task is to keep the momentum, maintain the approach, and whenever we come back to the negotiations in future, I call on everyone to do it in the normal spirit of compromise and cooperation that we carry out at IMO."

Q: How can the IMO's 176 member states rebuild trust after this?

A: "Multilateralism is very much alive at IMO. And that's what I told everyone — not to judge the organization, or come too quickly to conclusions, from the outcome of one specific topic in one specific meeting. For us, we need to learn from it. I am very much in support of multilateralism. We have had conversations and discussions about how to deal with geopolitical aspects."

Q: US President Donald Trump called the shipping emissions deal a "scam" and pressure from Washington clearly influenced its delay. Is the scheme dead?

A: "The negotiations continue, and they are ongoing. It is by no means a done deal. The process will continue ahead. It is important to take their comments and concerns on board, and have further bilateral and multilateral conversations ahead of the next session. They may have proposals to put on the table for us to consider as well. And that's how we make progress. I work with all countries, and all governments, at any given time. My job is to listen to what everybody is saying and see how we can accommodate and find those common areas that might allow us to make progress."

Q: Is the industry still committed to decarbonizing?

A: "Our goal — that we all agreed at IMO back in 2023 — is to decarbonize the sector by around 2050. And we all maintain that goal, regardless of the state of play right now. We continue to make progress... and I am convinced actually that the organization is serious about decarbonizing by around 2050."

What happens next?

Dominguez emphasised that the negotiating process will continue and encouraged member states to return to discussions in a spirit of compromise. He said the IMO will seek to learn from the episode and address geopolitical pressures while preserving multilateral cooperation. Delegations may bring revised proposals and engage in bilateral talks ahead of the next IMO session.

Reporting by AFP; interview edited for length and clarity.