Ship Recycling News

ClassNK has certified Salam’s International, a ship recycling facility in Pakistan, as the first facility in the country to be certified by ClassNK for compliance with the Hong Kong International Convention for ship recycling. Based on this certification, the competent authority in Pakistan is expected to issue the Document of Authorization to conduct Ship Recycling (DASR) as required by the Convention.Pakistan acceded to the Hong Kong Convention in November 2023, and ship recycling facilities in the country have since been working toward compliance.

As oil started to climb, freight followed suit, continuing to feed the already rising global inflation picture, while the U.S. Dollar wore the crown jewel of the week, rising notably against all of the major international ship recycling markets, says cash buyer GMS. At the same time, local steel plate prices saw another volatile week across several recycling destinations as currency fluctuations and domestic demand influenced pricing levels across the Subcontinent.“Behind the broader market volatility lies a challenging reality: assets under pressure…

The International Labor Organization (ILO) launched a pilot Employment Injury Scheme (EIS) in collaboration with BIMCO to strengthen the protection and rights of workers at ship recycling yards in Bangladesh, the world’s biggest ship recycling nation.The scheme works as a social insurance where the risk is pooled and shared by the industry. By paying into the EIS, sellers of end-of-life ships can help ensure that workers and their families receive adequate and timely compensation, in line with international labour standards, in case of permanent injury or death.

India’s decision to introduce additional documentation checks before end-of-life vessels are cleared could prevent the practice of fake documents among the dark fleet, says leading vessel cash buyer Wirana Shipping Corporation.The recent decision taken by the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) to introduce an additional process of documentation checks will act as a deterrent to ships being sent for recycling with fake documents, says Wirana Shipping, the world’s…

GMS, the world’s largest buyer of ships for recycling, has called on the European Commission to approve qualified Indian ship recycling facilities for inclusion on the European List under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR).Despite more than 110 Indian yards holding Hong Kong Convention (HKC) Statements of Compliance issued by IACS member classification societies, over 35 formal applications submitted, and at least 10 Commission-led inspections and audits, not a single Indian yard has been approved in more than a decade.“This is not a failure of standards.

The chaos in the Middle East is leaving regional and international markets bracing for the inevitable whirlpool of global insanity that is about to suck the entire world into short-term (at the very least) tumult, reports cash buyer GMS.Oil was already on its way up during the week, but as the weekend came around, it spiked over 10%, jumping from around USD 63/barrel last week to nearly USD 71.90/barrel (at the time of writing). The Baltic Exchange was also on its way up (rising 1.1%) but remained comparatively subdued in comparison to oil futures…yet.The Cape…

International market turmoil from the direct / indirect imposition of global tariffs and related actions saw a crazy Week 8 wind up in 2026, as freight rates and oil prices both moved up and subsequently down, reports cash buyer GMS.As oil rose above USD 63/barrel from last week to well over USD 66/barrel this week, it retreated back down to USD 65.93/barrel by week’s end, amid investors and forecasters increasingly weighing the possibility of Trump launching another confounding attack against Iran…

The second week of February brought on a really confusing spin to the markets, with fundamentals across the board performing bizarrely (compared to last week’s performance), reports cash buyer GMS.“After a volatile beginning to the month, the Baltic Exchange Dry Index and even oil futures found steady ground this week, while even the U.S. Dollar firmed against all ship recycling nation currencies except India (ain’t that a switch), as did local steel plate prices, which also saw India slip the car into reverse and backpedal nearly all of its recent gains.”In an expanded view…

The weekly roller coaster that has become the global marketplace went through its regular gravitational drop this week, with the U.S. dollar taking the “cement-footed diving approach” in all ship-recycling destinations… except Turkey, reports cash buyer GMS.The Baltic Exchange Dry Bulk Index fell 0.7% down to a two-week low, dragged by the Capesize index, which fell 1.1% over the week. The Panamax index slipped 0.4%, while the Supramax index rose 0.2%. Meanwhile, easing tensions between the U.S.

January 2026 joins the pages of history as being part of the ongoing misery for the global ship recycling world, but there were noteworthy surges to report this week, saysreports cash buyer GMS.“Across the board, for most of the major fundamentals, except sub-continent steel plate prices that have become the perennial party poopers of the recycling world of late, the momentum was definitely beyond noticeable,” says GMS. “The Baltic Exchange Dry Index, oil futures, and the U.S. Dollar collectively soared this week, creating ripples that would certainly be felt within the next four weeks.

Indian sub-continent ship recycling markets have been reflecting on what has been escalating on the international stage of late, reports cash buyer GMS. The company notes extremely turbulent effects emanating week after week from these markets — meaning it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify what price can be obtained for which type / LDT of unit and, most importantly, which buyer in which market would be willing to jump for the unit in question.“As we await January’s inflation figures from the various destinations…

The Baltic Exchange Dry Index halted a nine-session slide to mark a 2.3% U-turn, climbing to 1,567 points, reports cash buyer GMS. This was driven by gains across segments: Capes (up 2.3%), Panamax (up 4.3%), and the smaller segments adding four points by week’s end.“Notably, the overall benchmark index still finished the week down 7.2%. Oil too continued to trip on itself and stayed below the coveted USD 60/barrel mark despite a 0.4% increase, closing the week out at USD 59.44/barrel.“The U.S.

European shipowners who wish to have their vessels recycled will now be able to fulfil their legal obligations using a single administrative form.The European Commission has adopted new formats for the certificates used to list all hazardous material present on board a vessel and to confirm that a ship is ready for recycling.The update will enable ship owners to fulfil their obligations under both the EU's Ship Recycling Regulation and the Hong Kong Convention with a single certificate…

If 2026 continues as it has started, we are more than likely in for another roller-coaster year full of geopolitical risks, tensions, aggravations, and increasingly frequent shocks that could affect the shipping and ship recycling industries in numerous — and as yet untold — ways, says cash buyer GMS.Markets have reacted to recent Trump-related geopolitical news as they always do i.e. with chaos and volatility. “The Baltic Exchange reported another bleak week of declines for the fifth straight Friday…

Global economies delivered mixed signals as U.S. stocks maintained a steady decline over the tail-end of December, reports cash buyer GMS. China’s industrial growth slowed, and EU stocks reportedly surged.“The U.S. Dollar started the year off-balance against ship recycling currencies, shipowners started to rejoice as the Baltic Exchange Dry Index showed signs of a resurgence, oil continued to slip on its way to USD 60/barrel even though it climbed to USD 57.17/barrel this week…

“Inflation is on the rise again, plate prices are collapsing in the wrong places, all while the U.S. dollar continues to rummage through the wreckage of 2025 for whatever it can suck out of ship-recycling currencies and both freight rates and oil futures tumble in unison,” reports cash buyer GMS, “just within the span of week 50.”The Baltic Exchange Dry Index reportedly fell nearly 4%, down to its lowest level in nearly a month, dragged by capes that fell 5.6%. Panamax followed suit with a 2.1% drop…

December has brought with it a declining Baltic Exchange, reports cash buyer GMS. This saw the Dry Index fall by about 3%, this week, dragged down by mounting pressure across all segments that saw capes slipping 4.4%, panamax dropping 1.4%, and the smaller segments shedding five basis points, all while oil barely moved the needle as it closed another week at region USD 59.70/barrel (expected to breach USD 60/barrel in the coming week) and inflation reported minor improvements…

Global market chaos continues post-Thanksgiving, reports cash buyer GMS. “Steel plate prices were the highlight of the entire sub-continent—and even China—where they unanimously retreated in unison this week, while the U.S. Dollar also decided to join in on the fun as it too retreated at all sub-continent locations (except—no surprise—Turkey).“Making matters worse are the rising freight markets that continue to surprise the industry, as the Baltic Exchange’s Dry Index climbed another 3.2% through the course of the week…

Prime Green Recyclers has become the first ship recycling yard in Pakistan to achieve full compliance with the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships.Bureau Veritas issued the Statement of Compliance on November 24.Prime Green Recyclers’ certification marks a new stage for Pakistan’s recycling capacity. The country has long been one of the world’s major destinations for end-of-life tonnage, yet it had no yard meeting the Convention’s requirements.

This has been a disastrous week for nearly all the key indicators tracked by cash buyer GMS, says the company, including the state of oil futures, freight rates, local steel plate prices, and disastrous currency devaluations (especially in India).“To start, oil found itself slipping rather shockingly as it fell to USD 57.68/barrel – a total drop of over 6% in the last month and over 16% lower than the same time last year," says GMS. “At the same time, governments in the U.S. continue…

NGO Shipbreaking Platform, in collaboration with Sandbag - Smarter Climate Policy and the University of Tuscia, publishes a report on the role of scrap steel from end-of-life ships in the decarbonization efforts of the European steel industry.Steel is one of the critical elements of Europe’s industrial strategy. To achieve the European Union’s climate targets, the steel industry must rapidly shift from carbon‑intensive blast furnace steelmaking to low‑carbon electric arc furnace technology, which can incorporate high amounts of scrap steel.

Ship recycling market economies face an increasingly precariously future, reports cash buyer GMS.“While the Baltic Exchange Dry Index reported gains once again this week on the back of virtually all inclusive sub-sectors reporting improvements of their own through the week, oil futures on the other hand seem to be taking a beating after levels clocked the week out at USD 59.50/barrel after Ukraine successfully carried out a massive drone attack against Russia’s largest oil refinery located at Novorossiysk. The U.S.

Economic turmoil is causing inflation to keep rising at key ship recycling destinations, says cash buyer GMS. Global steel prices are collapsing, currencies are devaluing, and a disjointed ratio of trading units versus recycling volumes, are all wrapped up in a 2025 burrito of unnecessary bombastic.“As sanctions and bans increasingly strike at the world’s trading units and the balance of the legally trading group seems increasingly burdened with shouldering the load of missing tonnage, which itself cannot even be recycled anywhere, it is certainly starting to show at the waterfront once again.