Trump Just Hit the UN With One Warning About This Global Cash Grab That Left Them Reeling
The United Nations is trying to pull off the biggest cash grab in history.
They thought they could sneak it through while nobody was watching.
But Trump just hit the UN with one warning about this global cash grab that has them scrambling.
Trump Administration Draws Line in the Sand on U.N. Shipping Tax
The International Maritime Organization is meeting in London right now to vote on something that would fundamentally reshape global trade — and not in a good way.¹
The U.N. agency wants to impose the first-ever global tax on a single industry by forcing commercial ships to pay fees for emissions over limits the IMO gets to define.²
The Trump administration just told them exactly where they can stick that plan.
"President Trump has made it clear that the U.S. will not accept any international environmental agreement that unduly or unfairly burdens the U.S. or the interest of the American people," the administration said in a letter to the IMO.³
The letter didn’t stop with polite diplomatic objections.
Trump’s team made it crystal clear that if this so-called "Net-Zero Framework" passes, there will be hell to pay.
"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," the letter warned.⁴
Translation: You tax our ships, we’ll tax yours right back — and then some.
The U.N.’s Decade-Long Dream Finally Gets a Vote
The IMO has been trying to impose carbon pricing on shipping for more than ten years.⁵
Every previous attempt failed because the organization normally operates by consensus — meaning any country can block a proposal.
But in April 2025, something unprecedented happened.
The IMO held an actual vote for the first time on this issue, and the measure passed 63-16 with 24 abstentions.⁶
The United States walked out before the vote even happened.⁷
Now the IMO is meeting again this week for formal adoption, which requires a two-thirds majority of the 108 parties to MARPOL Annex VI — the international pollution convention that gives the IMO its authority.⁸
If adopted, the regulations would target ocean-going ships over 5,000 gross tonnes, which are responsible for about 85 percent of international shipping’s total CO2 emissions.⁹
The IMO wants the shipping industry to reach carbon neutrality "by or around 2050," with interim targets of 20 percent reductions by 2030 and 70 percent by 2040.¹⁰
Ships that fail to meet emissions targets would have to buy "remedial units" priced between $100 and $380 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent.¹¹
Trump Administration Calls It What It Really Is
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy didn’t mince words in their joint statement about what this really represents.
"Whatever its stated goals, the proposed framework is effectively a global carbon tax on Americans levied by an unaccountable UN organization," the Cabinet secretaries wrote.¹²
They pointed out something the climate activists don’t want you to know.
"These fuel standards would conveniently benefit China by requiring the use of expensive fuels unavailable at global scale," the statement continued.¹³
The standards would also block proven technologies where U.S. industry leads — like liquified natural gas and biofuels.¹⁴
Under this framework, even small vessels would rack up millions of dollars in fees that get passed directly to American consumers.¹⁵
The Trump Administration isn’t just opposing this on principle.
They’re preparing specific retaliation if countries vote yes.
The State Department laid out exactly what’s coming for nations that support this scheme: blocking vessels from U.S. ports, imposing additional port fees on ships from countries that voted yes, and evaluating sanctions on officials sponsoring these climate policies.¹⁶
"The United States will be moving to levy these remedies against nations that sponsor this European-led neocolonial export of global climate regulations," the State Department warned.¹⁷
That’s not diplomatic language — that’s a declaration of economic war.
The Real Stakes Behind This U.N. Power Grab
Maritime shipping moves about 90 percent of global trade.¹⁸
A heavy tax on emissions would increase the price of virtually everything consumers buy.
Some estimates forecast global shipping costs increasing 10 percent or more under this framework.¹⁹
The IMO claims the scheme would raise between $11-40 billion by 2030 to fund a "Net Zero Fund" supporting developing countries’ transition to green shipping.²⁰
But here’s what they’re not telling you.
This represents the first time a U.N. organization would levy a global tax on the world — a precedent that opens the door for similar schemes targeting other industries.²¹
The aviation sector is already watching closely to see if this works.
If the IMO gets away with taxing shipping, expect U.N. agencies to come after airlines next, then trucking, then manufacturing, then agriculture.
The Trump administration understands what’s really happening here.
This isn’t about climate change — it’s about establishing the precedent that unelected international bureaucrats can impose taxes on Americans without our consent.
Oil-producing countries see it the same way, which is why Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, and Venezuela all oppose the agreement.²²
Even some Pacific Island nations that face rising sea levels abstained from voting, saying the deal doesn’t go far enough and would let wealthy ship owners buy their way out of reducing emissions.²³
The divide between countries tells you everything you need to know about whose interests this really serves.
Trump’s Tariff Arsenal Ready for Deployment
The timing of this U.N. vote couldn’t be worse for countries considering support.
Trump has already deployed reciprocal tariffs ranging from 10 to 50 percent on major trading partners.²⁴
He’s shown zero hesitation about using economic leverage to protect American interests.
Countries voting yes on this shipping tax would be adding themselves to Trump’s target list at exactly the wrong moment.
The administration has made clear these aren’t empty threats.
"Our fellow IMO members should be on notice that we will look for their support against this action and not hesitate to retaliate or explore remedies for our citizens should this endeavor fail," the joint Cabinet statement declared.²⁵
The vote is expected today.
If the two-thirds threshold is met, the regulations enter into force in 2027 after a tacit acceptance period where countries can formally object.²⁶
But Trump’s team isn’t waiting to see what happens.
They’re putting the full weight of American economic power behind stopping this before it starts.
For once, an American President is standing up to unelected international bureaucrats trying to tax Americans without representation.
The United Nations thought they could push through this global tax scheme while Trump was focused on other priorities.
They’re about to learn that nothing escapes his attention when it comes to protecting American workers and consumers from unfair international agreements.
¹ Maritime Gateway, "Nations weigh first-ever global fee on shipping emissions at IMO meeting," October 15, 2025.
² Breitbart News, "U.N. to Vote on First-Ever Global Tax Punishing Shipping Emissions," October 16, 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Climate Leadership Council, "Carbon Pricing in the Shipping Industry," April 12, 2024.
⁶ SAFETY4SEA, "MMMCZCS: What we know so far about the IMO Net-Zero Framework," September 4, 2025.
⁷ ESG Dive, "UN reaches deal on global shipping net-zero standard in spite of US opposition," April 14, 2025.
⁸ IMO, "The IMO Net-Zero Framework – FAQs," 2025.
⁹ Breitbart News, "U.N. to Vote on First-Ever Global Tax Punishing Shipping Emissions," October 16, 2025.
¹⁰ Ibid.
¹¹ The Energy Mix, "Shipping Emissions Taxed by International Maritime Organization," April 28, 2025.
¹² U.S. Department of State, "Joint Statement on Protecting American Consumers and Shipping Industries," August 12, 2025.
¹³ Ibid.
¹⁴ Ibid.
¹⁵ Ibid.
¹⁶ U.S. Department of State, "Taking Action to Defend America from the UN’s First Global Carbon Tax," October 11, 2025.
¹⁷ Ibid.
¹⁸ Climate Leadership Council, "Carbon Pricing in the Shipping Industry," April 12, 2024.
¹⁹ U.S. Department of State, "Taking Action to Defend America from the UN’s First Global Carbon Tax," October 11, 2025.
²⁰ Carbon Market Watch, "Watering down already weak IMO compromise," August 4, 2025.
²¹ The National Law Review, "US Issues Detailed Ultimatum Against International ‘Carbon Tax,’" October 2025.
²² Breitbart News, "U.N. to Vote on First-Ever Global Tax Punishing Shipping Emissions," October 16, 2025.
²³ The Energy Mix, "Shipping Emissions Taxed by International Maritime Organization," April 28, 2025.
²⁴ Windward, "Trump Tariffs Explained: Trade Policy, Maritime Measures," October 2025.
²⁵ U.S. Department of State, "Joint Statement on Protecting American Consumers and Shipping Industries," August 12, 2025.
²⁶ IMO, "The IMO Net-Zero Framework – FAQs," 2025.
