imo

MEPC 84 convenes April 27 in London for the first regular session since a US-Saudi coalition blocked adoption of the first global carbon pricing system for shipping in October 2025.

The International Maritime Organization will vote on a non-mandatory MASS Code at its May 2026 session, establishing the first global regulatory framework for autonomous vessels as national regulators scramble to keep pace with commercial deployments.

A $2.1 billion Navy program has drawn at least a dozen competitors to build autonomous warships, while commercial shipping firms deploy AI navigation on thousands of vessels and the IMO targets May 2026 for its first autonomous shipping code.

China's Zhi Fei completed a fully autonomous port call at Qingdao while the U.S. Navy's Liberty Class entered construction, as the IMO races to finalize global rules by 2030.