US, Others Say They're Worried About EU Plans for Carbon Border Adjustment

The U.S. and eight other countries speaking at the World Trade Organization said they're concerned about the expected proposal from the European Union to implement a carbon border tax as part of its climate change mitigation policy. The proposal is expected next year. A Geneva trade official said the EU started the discussion at a Committee on Trade and the Environment meeting Nov. 16. The countries that are concerned want to make sure subsidies for EU industries in green energy will be fair; that costs aren't borne only by producers; and that any action is WTO-compliant.

At the same meeting, a group of countries said they want to work together on trade and the environment. WTO Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff told those countries -- including the EU, Canada, other European countries, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, but not the U.S. -- that they should work to eliminate tariffs on environmental goods and collaborate on policies to address the carbon content of traded products.