"Kerry Says US Examining Carbon Border Tax, Sees Risks"

"BERLIN — U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said Tuesday that Washington is looking into the possibility of introducing a fee on imports from countries that don’t tax heavy polluters, but he cautioned that such a move could carry risks “downstream.”

Kerry said President Joe Biden had instructed U.S. officials to examine “what are the consequences, how do you do the pricing, what is the impact.”

“But he wants to make sure we’ve thoroughly vetted it and thought about it as a matter of policy, particularly because our friends are doing so,” Kerry said.

The European Union has indicated it will put forward plans next month for a ‘carbon border adjustment mechanism’ aimed at pushing its trading partners into doing more to cut carbon emissions if they want to sell their goods in the world’s largest single market."

Frank Jordans reports for the Associated Press May 18, 2021.

Source: AP, 05/19/2021