US accused of threatening EU diplomats during bid to kill green shipping rules

European negotiators were personally targeted by their American counterparts during a brutal negotiation over green shipping rules, European Commission officials told POLITICO — a highly unusual gambit that left diplomats shaken after the meeting. 

The threats were made last month, as the U.S. maneuvered to block a new effort to tax pollution at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization in London.

Eight envoys, officials and civil society observers from Europe, granted anonymity to describe the fractious closed-door discussions and protect their relationships with those involved, confirmed national delegates had reported they had been threatened with personal consequences if they went against Washington.

“Our negotiators had never seen this before in any international talks,” said one European official, who had spoken to negotiators. “People being summoned to the U.S. Embassy in London — intimidation, threats of cessation of business, threats of family members losing visas.”

Another European Commission official added that diplomats returned home rattled after the meetings: “We had feedback from a number of people involved in the negotiations about the pressure they faced.”

Since Donald Trump’s return to office, the administration has sought to undermine global climate policy and promote U.S. fossil fuel interests. The president has called efforts to combat global warming a “con job.” He was particularly enraged about the maritime emissions effort, saying it would hit American shippers with unwarranted taxes.

The International Maritime Organization is a U.N. agency that regulates the world’s shipping industry; measures taken there are enforced by its 176 member states — almost every nation on Earth with a coastline. The EU is not a member, but the European Commission and the vast majority of EU countries had been an early supporter of the carbon tax measure. 

The U.S. strategy was laid out publicly ahead of the meeting, with a press release signed by the U.S. secretaries of state, transportation and energy. On top of threats of tariffs, port fees and visa restrictions on crews, the U.S. said it would also look at “sanctions on officials sponsoring activist-driven climate policies.”

Only two EU members broke from the bloc: major maritime countries Cyprus and Greece, with the latter claiming its choice had nothing to do with U.S. pressure.

“We had made up our minds way before the U.S. became involved in this and we had actually voiced our concerns,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose country has  one of the world’s largest maritime industries, told POLITICO in an interview after Athens switched its vote and backed a postponement. “I want to be very clear … I did not speak to President Trump about this.” 

The new normal

The deployment of personal threats in an international negotiation represents another departure by the Trump administration from diplomatic norms and signals further tension in relations between the U.S. and EU.

The threats were not limited to European delegations, according to officials and attendees briefed on the events in London.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had personally called more than 20 countries to pressure them. | Paul Morigi/Getty Images

“I’m directly aware of threats being made to EU countries, island states,” said one observer from a civil society group, who was briefed on the matter by a delegation.

Delegates exposed to the intimidation campaign were unwilling to speak on the record for fear the U.S. would make good on its ultimatums. The Financial Times first reported the personal threats to delegates.

In a close vote, the summit chose to delay the emissions tax for a year — a feat viewed by many as a near-death blow to the measure and a major victory for Trump. Dozens of countries from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia agreed to the delay.

Other officials who spoke to the delegates said they were astonished at how strongly the Americans were prepared to pressure delegations.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had personally called more than 20 countries to pressure them. A senior Western diplomat confirmed the U.S. threatened Caribbean countries with tariffs if they did not agree to postpone the shipping emissions decision.

During the week-long IMO meeting, the “process was ongoing,” said the observer. In at least one case U.S delegates approached another delegation on the floor of the plenary and issued a similar set of ultimatums. “There was quite a bit of upset among the delegates.” 

At a coffee break during the meeting, Vanuatu Climate Minister Ralph Regenvanu told POLITICO that other island nations had been subjected to “relentless pressure” from the U.S.. “There’s bullshit going on,” he said.

Although tough tactics are nothing new in international talks, the bare-knuckle approach of the U.S. in London was seen as extraordinary.

“U.S. pressure created an atmosphere of fear, which in turn created chaos that ultimately led to the adoption to be delayed,” said Christiaan De Beukelaer, a senior lecturer in climate and maritime transport policies at the University of Melbourne, who was present at the talks in an observer capacity.

“Once you go around threatening countries, you undermine the design and functioning of multilateralism as it emerged since the Second World War,” he added.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson declined to comment on what they called “private diplomatic conversations.” But in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the effort against the carbon price.

“Our coalition-building efforts paid off, proving that real diplomacy based on national interest — ours and theirs — can thwart unaccountable bureaucratic schemes. Should this initiative or any other similar one emerge from the U.N. bureaucracy again, our coalition against it will be ready—and larger,” said Rubio.

Karl Mathiesen reported from London. Gabriel Gavin and Louise Guillot reported from Brussels. Nahal Toosi and Ben Lefebvre contributed reporting from Washington. Martina Sapio contributed reporting from Brussels.