Sierra Club Welcomes Congressional Proposals for a Carbon Dumping Fee

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, it’s reported that Congressional Democrats will introduce legislation to impose a border tax on imported materials made with a high degree of climate pollution. 

For years, the Sierra Club has been calling for the establishment of a carbon dumping fee to encourage bold climate action across borders. Read our proposal for more details on how this fee should be designed.

In response, Sierra Club Living Economy Program Director Ben Beachy released the following statement:

“For decades, outdated trade deals have encouraged corporations to outsource their most polluting factories to countries with weaker climate and labor standards, spurring both job loss and climate pollution. A carbon dumping fee is one important tool in the toolbox to help reverse this global race to the bottom in climate standards. We are eager to see the details of this legislation, and we applaud the effort to craft new trade policies that help rather than hinder our historic fight to address the climate crisis. 

“A well-designed carbon dumping fee would create a strong incentive for corporations abroad to reduce emissions in order to sell iron, steel, aluminum and other products to the U.S. Similarly, U.S. corporations might press pause on outsourcing to countries with weaker climate and labor standards if they know they will have to pay a fee to sell the materials back in the U.S. It’s high time that we transformed our trade policies to support good jobs, manufacturing renewal, and climate action.”