by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

According to Danish media ShippingWatch, the US Administration sent a communication announcing its withdrawal from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) shipping decarbonisation negotiations.

The team of US negotiators was recalled shortly before the beginning of the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC83) meeting, currently held in London.

The communication sent to member states negotiating the climate agreement said that the US Administration would not agree to “any international environmental agreement that unduly or unfairly burdens the US.”

A G-Captian report adds that the US explicitly rejected any measures that would impose fees on US vessels for sustainability reasons.

The communication included: "The US is not engaging in negotiations at the IMO 83rd Marine Environment Protection Committee from 7 to 11 April and urges your government to reconsider its support for the GHG emissions measures under consideration."

Furthermore, the administration warned it would consider taking reciprocal action to compensate for any fees levied against American-flagged ships, says G-Captain.

Another development that took effect yesterday was related to the trade war between the US and China.

The new 50% tariffs on imported Chinese goods into the US took effect Wednesday after China refused to respond to Trump's warning to withdraw its 34% counter-tariff.

As a result, the US Administration's reciprocal tariffs on Chinese goods have now increased to 104%.

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