The administration of President Donald J. Trump has moved to sharply scale back US participation in multilateral institutions, while keeping the country inside the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a decision likely to reassure parts of the global shipping industry.
A Presidential Memorandum dated January 7, 2026 directed US agencies to withdraw “as soon as possible” from more than 60 non-UN and UN-linked organisations deemed contrary to US interests.
These include high-profile climate, energy and sustainability bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Notably absent from the withdrawal list was the IMO, the UN body responsible for global shipping safety, environmental rules and decarbonisation policy.
The decision comes just months after the US played a decisive role in opposing the adoption of the IMO’s proposed Net-Zero Framework (NZF) in October 2025. That opposition prevented consensus on measures including a global fuel standard and carbon pricing mechanism, drawing criticism from climate-focused states while being welcomed by segments of the US maritime and energy sectors concerned about cost impacts.
By remaining within the IMO, the US retains its ability to influence future negotiations from inside the regulatory system, rather than risking fragmentation of global maritime rules. Industry observers have warned that a US exit from the IMO would have raised questions over port state control, enforcement of safety standards and the consistency of emissions regulation.
The memorandum notes that the State Department’s review of international organisations is ongoing, leaving scope for further changes. For now, shipping appears to be a strategic exception in an otherwise broad retrenchment from multilateral engagement.
