Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) revived a Revolutionary War-era refrain Tuesday, saying that any move to levy a United Nations-backed levy on shipping emissions would amount to "taxation without representation" and be "far more offensive" than colonial-era British taxes.
Ron DeSantis Revives American Revolution-Era Taxation Slogan
His post came as a U.N. shipping agency convened in London to debate a first-of-its-kind global carbon-pricing framework.
“No taxation without representation. Being taxed by the UN would be far more offensive than the taxes imposed by Great Britain against the American colonies more than 250 years ago. Those taxes sparked the American Revolution,” DeSantis wrote in an X post on Tuesday. “The UN should be defunded, not seeded with new tax revenue," he added.
DeSantis linked his post to a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, "The United Nations Is About to Tax You," which argued that "Voters are showing their opposition to the net-zero climate agenda whenever they get the chance. But that isn't stopping the United Nations, which this week is poised to impose what amounts to a global tax on carbon emissions." The op-ed called the idea "the definition of taxation without representation."
IMO Net Zero Framework Details And Costs
The Journal piece referred to the International Maritime Organization's proposed Net-Zero Framework (NZF), which would create the first global carbon-pricing system for shipping. The measure "would impose charges per metric ton of carbon dioxide that ships emit above certain limits; the tax would be $100 or $380 per metric ton depending on various factors," potentially yielding "$10 billion-$12 billion" annually, the editorial said.
U.S. Retaliation Threats Mount
Despite U.S. opposition and threats of sanctions or visa restrictions, as per a Reuters report, China, the European Union and other IMO members reaffirmed support this week for ambitious emissions cuts as delegates moved toward a vote expected by Friday. The framework would phase in requirements from 2028 and steer proceeds into an IMO-administered fund.
The United States, through a joint statement by Secretary of State Rubio, Secretary of Energy Wright, and Secretary of Transportation Duffy, last week warned of "reciprocal measures" against countries backing the plan, casting doubt over its final adoption and stoking tense exchanges on the summit's opening day.
Supporters of the NZF say a unified system would avert a patchwork of national rules, while opponents call it an unapproved global tax that could raise shipping costs by as much as 10 percent. In April, an initial NZF package cleared a procedural vote (63–16, with 24 abstentions), and adoption now requires broader backing as negotiations continue in London.
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