The chief executive of fuel technology company FuelRe4m has criticized the International Maritime Organization's Net- Zero Framework (NZF), describing it as "a tax game disguised as climate policy" amid escalating tensions between the US and the IMO over maritime decarbonization.

Rob Mortimer, CEO of FuelRe4m, said the dispute reflects broader concerns about who controls financial flows and regulatory frameworks in the shipping industry's transition to cleaner fuels.

"This isn't a fight about saving the planet. It is about who controls the cash and who sets the rules," Mortimer said in a statement. "The IMO's proposal looks like climate policy, but in practice it functions more like a global tax system."

The comments come as the US has reportedly warned countries to reject the IMO's shipping decarbonization deal or face potential tariffs, highlighting the geopolitical stakes involved in maritime climate policy.

According to Mortimer, the IMO NZF relies heavily on new funds, subsidies, and carbon-trading mechanisms that risk favoring large fuel suppliers and well-capitalized shipowners while potentially disadvantaging smaller operators and developing nations.

"What shipping needs is meaningful decarbonization, not another round of carbon-credit schemes and subsidies that deliver little change at sea," he said.

The FuelRe4m CEO argued that the emphasis on unproven technologies such as large-scale carbon capture fails to deliver immediate emissions reductions, describing decarbonization as "an operational challenge, not an accounting exercise."

"If the industry continues to focus on financial engineering instead of practical solutions, we will lose sight of the original goal of cutting carbon from ships," Mortimer added.

He said the US position, while appearing confrontational, exposes concerns about market control and financial flows being as important as emissions reduction in the current debate.

With shipping accounting for approximately three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Mortimer stressed the need for practical, scalable solutions that can be deployed immediately.

"We already have tools that work, from route optimization and slow steaming to cleaner propulsion systems and advanced fuels," he said. "Regulators must focus on measures that can be deployed today and ensure that decarbonization is accessible across the entire industry, not just the top tier of shipowners."

FuelRe4m develops what it describes as nano-biotechnology for fossil fuel reforming, claiming its Re4mx product can reduce fuel consumption by 15-20 percent and cut emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur compounds, and particulates by 40-80 percent.

The company targets industries including ports, maritime and shipping, power generation, rail, and public transport.

Mortimer concluded: "At FuelRe4m, we believe regulators must refocus on policies that deliver genuine emissions cuts and make decarbonization accessible across the industry. Until the conversation shifts back to real-world solutions at sea, the push for net zero will remain more slogan than strategy."