By By: The People News Desk
Monrovia, Liberia — The Government of Liberia has firmly denied reports suggesting plans to impose a carbon levy on international shipping, clarifying that no such measure will take effect at Liberian seaports.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the government responded to recent online publications by TradeWinds and Oracle News Daily which claimed that Liberia intended to begin charging a carbon levy on international vessels as of March 1, 2026.
According to the statement, Liberia “does not, and will not, impose a carbon levy on international ships calling at Liberian seaports,” emphasizing that the reports were inaccurate and misleading.
The government reaffirmed its support for existing international legal frameworks governing greenhouse gas emissions from ships under the International Maritime Organization (IMO), noting that international shipping operates beyond national jurisdictions and requires a coordinated global regulatory approach.
The Government of Liberia recognizes that regulating international shipping greenhouse gas emissions has, by longstanding international consensus, been entrusted exclusively to the IMO.
The statement cautioned that unilateral national actions outside the IMO framework could undermine regulatory certainty, fragment global maritime governance, and disrupt international trade.
According to the government, national measures to impose market-based mechanisms on international shipping emissions risk creating confusion and instability within the global maritime industry.
Liberia further pledged to continue active engagement with the IMO and other member states to support the development of globally agreed technical, operational, and market-based measures that are uniform, fair, and equitable, while taking into account the developmental realities of countries.
While reaffirming its broader climate commitments, the government highlighted that Liberia has established a national Carbon Market Authority to coordinate participation in carbon markets and climate finance mechanisms under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.
However, it clarified that emissions from international shipping are not included in national emissions inventories and are therefore not subject to national carbon trading systems or levies.
The statement added that the regulation of emissions from ships, including any future carbon pricing or contribution mechanisms, remains under the mandate of the Liberia Maritime Authority in line with relevant IMO instruments.
The Government of Liberia concluded by reiterating its commitment to international cooperation, regulatory consistency, and the protection of global trade, while supporting climate action through established multilateral frameworks.
