The United States has withdrawn from talks in London looking at advancing decarbonization in the shipping sector, and Washington will consider ¡°reciprocal measures¡± to offset any fees charged to U.S. ships, according to a diplomatic note seen by Reuters.

Delegates are at the U.N. shipping agency¡¯s headquarters this week for negotiations over decarbonization measures aimed at enabling the global shipping industry to reach net zero by ¡°around 2050.¡±

A State Department spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that Washington would not be ¡°engaging in negotiations¡± at the U.N.¡¯s International Maritime Organization (IMO), adding that it was the administration¡¯s policy to put U.S. interests first in the ¡°development and negotiation of any international agreements.¡±