US Senator Bill Cassidy has proposed a “Foreign Pollution Fee Act” to establish carbon border fees on some imported goods with higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity than the emissions intensity of US-made goods, with the aim to discourage the import of more pollution-intensive, foreign-produced goods.
The fee would promote the expansion of US energy production and manufacturing of all kinds and expand trade with international partners, providing growth opportunities for US manufacturers and securing supply chains.
The fee would penalize foreign countries, namely China, who willfully ignore environmental standards and international norms to undercut manufacturing. Products made in China, on average, generate three times the emissions of the same products made in the US, the senator said.