MASS CODE 2026: AUTONOMOUS SHIPPING GOVERNANCE AND THE GLOBAL SOUTH

Abstract

In May 2026, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted the Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships Code (MASS Code) through Maritime Safety Committee resolution MSC.595(111), establishing the first international regulatory framework for autonomous cargo shipping (International Maritime Organization [IMO], 2026)*. The Code enters into force on 1 July 2026 on a voluntary basis, with a mandatory version expected by 2032. While the framework represents a landmark in maritime governance, it was predominantly shaped by technologically advanced states and industry actors from the Global North, reproducing longstanding patterns of normative exclusion that have historically disadvantaged developing nations in IMO processes (Baumler et al., 2021). This policy brief serves a dual purpose: (1) to offer a research-based assessment of the MASS Code's governance architecture and its implications for Global South maritime states, with Brazil as the primary case study; and (2) to advance a concrete regulatory advocacy agenda for Brazilian institutions — notably the Agência Nacional de Transportes Aquaviários (ANTAQ), the Marinha do Brasil, and the Ministério das Relações Exteriores — to engage proactively in the 2026–2032 transition window before the framework becomes binding.