US Opposes IMO Net-Zero Framework
Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Laura DiBella says the US is firmly opposed to the proposed global shipping emissions rules.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Transportation
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Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Laura DiBella said the United States is firmly opposed to the IMO Net-Zero Framework at the IBIA Annual Convention in New York. The Commission estimates the framework could cost the shipping industry between $53 billion and $265 billion a year if implemented globally as proposed.
Why it matters
The framework's cost and its effect on US cargo make it the Commission's biggest area of focus. DiBella set out four conditions the US wants any alternative framework to meet, including voluntary, market-based compliance.
The Commission estimates annual shipping costs under the framework at $53 billion to $265 billion if it is implemented globally as proposed. The range remains a projection, and the extraordinary session's decision on adoption has not yet been made.
The players
Laura DiBella
Laura DiBella is the Chairman of the US Federal Maritime Commission, the independent federal agency that regulates ocean-borne trade involving the United States.
Federal Maritime Commission
The Federal Maritime Commission is a US independent federal agency that regulates ocean common carriers and oversees fair competition in US ocean-borne commerce.
The details
DiBella delivered the statement at the IBIA Annual Convention in New York. She set out four conditions for any alternative framework: commercial realism and technology neutrality, a single transparent emissions intensity target reviewed by 2035, voluntary and market-based compliance with no mandatory payments, and no centralized IMO-administered fund.
Timeline
October 2025: IMO extraordinary session adjourned without adopting the framework.
November 11, 2026: DiBella spoke at the IBIA Annual Convention in New York.
November 23-27, 2026: IMO intersessional working group on greenhouse gas emissions meets.
November 30 to December 3, 2026: MEPC 85 meeting held.
December 4, 2026: Extraordinary session due to resume.
Market Landscape
The US position counters the IMO Net-Zero Framework, which aims to move shipping away from the global petroleum system through regulation rather than market forces. The dispute shapes how global shipping emissions rules will be set in the years ahead.
A global shipping levy under the framework could raise the cost of moving goods, and its pass-through to consumers remains unclear. The outcome of the December session will determine whether these costs take effect.
The takeaway
The contest over the IMO framework will determine whether global shipping emissions are priced through a centralized levy or through voluntary, market-based measures. Watching the December 4 session will show which approach gains consensus.
What happens next
The IMO extraordinary session is due to resume on December 4, 2026, and the intersessional working group meets November 23-27, 2026. Legal text is hoped to be considered in early 2027.
Further reading
For more on shipping and freight policy, see Transportation.
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