Steel Plate Prices News

There seems to be positivity in the ship recycling market as the Baltic Index’s main Sea Freight Index fell for its ninth consecutive week this week, dropping to its lowest levels of the year, reports cash buyer GMS.“In essence, this decline especially affects older trading fleets, which in turn has seen all recycling markets register imports at their respective waterfronts this week, including a welcome return from Pakistan to the fray,” says GMS. “Fundamentals, though, continue…

Weak pricing, damp demand, and dithered sentiments characterized another lackluster week in the ship recycling industry on the Indian sub-continent, reports cash buyer GMS.Sales ground to a virtual halt this week with activity registering at some of the lowest levels witnessed for nearly a decade.As levels declined by over USD 100/LDT since the peaks of 2024, a majority of the marginal sales are reliably taking place below USD 500/LDT on nearly all vessels and into all markets.Bangladesh…

Cash buyer GMS reports an eerie calm has descended across tense global economies, including the destitute ship recycling sector.It’s been some time since a regular supply of a decent variety of vessels has been regularly available (likely the worst in a decade), says GMS. Levels have declined by over USD 100/LDT since the peaks of early 2024 and offerings continually retreat, firmly relegating all vessels below the commensurate USD 500/LDT mark.Geopolitical events have been to blame for much of the trauma across the ship recycling markets this year.

Global ship recycling fundamentals remain shaky, reports cash buyer GMS, as Indian and Pakistani steel plate prices reported unexpected moves bought on by the 30% tariffs levied on a variety of goods being imported from China.In addition, the U.S. Dollar continues to “belly dance” around the various recycling nation currencies reporting the (comparatively) worst week for the Bangladeshi Taka as the interim government continues struggling to control the currency since May.“The…

Cash buyer GMS cites the dangerous situations unfolding across the Middle East, Ukraine and South China Sea, when saying that politics, war, and ensuing global financial instability, means that ship recycling markets continue to endure profound challenges as the industry heads towards Q4 2024.“On the financial side, we witnessed a seesawing of fundamentals as on the one hand, likely on the back of news that the U.S. Feds are revising another reduction in interest rates, the U.S.

The ship recycling market has so far been subdued in September, as expected, reports cash buyer GMS.Macro factors affecting the market include the situation in the Middle East, Houthi attacks on passing vessels and tensions caused by the repositioning of navies in response to ISIS fighters targeting U.S. bases.“The start of September saw the industry still witness the inescapable decline that is India’s ship recycling sector today, one that continues to show no signs of it slowing since early June,” says GMS.

The Middle East and global ship recycling markets need a serious push on the pause button, says cash buyer GMS, as this week the world has seen:• increasing security bulletins surrounding an imminent Iranian / Hezbollah threat against Israel,• the U.S. repositioning two aircraft carrier / destroyer fleets off the Gulf of Oman & Eastern Mediterranean leaving the entire region on high alert,• PM Sheikh Hassina abruptly resign as Prime Minister of Bangladesh and fled to India in a government helicopter…

As Russia's war continues to rage in Ukraine and tensions hit a fever pitch in the Middle East, zooming out of the ship recycling markets, GMS sees geopolitical events taking centerstage across all shipping sectors (trading and recycling) for yet another week, with no end in sight. The mysterious bombing assassination of one of the founding members of Hezbollah in the heart of the Iranian capital city of Tehran early in the week sent shockwaves across the Arab world, followed by Iranian leaders vowing to avenge his death with a purported “new phase of war” in an already TNT loaded situation.

“We see geopolitical events take center stage across all shipping sectors (trading and recycling) for yet another week,” reports cash buyer GMS. It is expected to continue through Q3 and likely well into Q4.GMS cites events such as the assassination of one of the founding members of Hezbollah in the heart of the Iranian capital city of Tehran, rockets fired into Israel and expected continued attacks on shipping by Houthis.Added to that is national unrest in Bangladesh where several…

Indian sub-continent ship recycling markets remain decidedly dicey as both currencies and local steel plate prices in India and Bangladesh declined even further this week, reports cash buyer GMS.“Vessel prices and demand take on a whole new meaning of industrywide suffering, especially with Turkey and Pakistani ship recycling markets still being remanded at the same resort over recent weeks.”The political situation in the Middle East will also continue to restrict the supply of vessels for the immediate future / likely until Q4…

The anticipated / ongoing seasonal slowdown in activity coupled with softening vessel prices has clearly started to characterize the year’s summer / monsoon mess across the Indian sub-continent ship recycling markets, reports cash buyer GMS.“However, the 2024 version not only includes the incessant rains and a holiday-time for yard workers, but also ongoing global descent via boots on the ground warfare and an economic tumult that has double downed and unsustainably maintained…

It has been another tentative time in the global ship recycling markets as overall this week, reports cash buyer GMS, as sale and purchase activity and local arrivals / deliveries reported minimal movements at the various waterfronts.Indian sub-continent ship recyclers are approaching the monsoon season with a ‘wait-&-watch’ mindset prior to committing afresh on tonnage, especially since virtually all sub-continent recyclers have taken in their respectable shares of tonnage over…

Vessel prices are already down by about USD 20 – USD 25 / LDT, reports cash buyer GMS, as further decline is expected in the first half of July as previously forecast.Shipowners and cash buyers are now chasing down a declining market, and recyclers are facing exacerbating economic challenges. Not only are local steel plate prices in shambles, but currencies are also taking tumbles at key destinations and have unexpectedly delivered a monsoon retreat for industry players who are looking to conclude business at the various ship recycling destinations…

An eventful week in the ship recycling industry saw the announcement of the Bangladeshi budget surprisingly deliver negative news for Chattogram’s ship recycling sector, reports cash buyer GMS.“Bangladesh’s proposed budget has surprisingly fallen short of appreciating, assessing, or even addressing the extent of the nation’s ongoing economic crises via establishing realistic targets and measures needed to correct recently erupted financial abnormalities,” says GMS.The Taka declined further against the U.S.

As May comes to an end, increasing vessel prices on the back of a firming demand from Alang recyclers has now seen local steel plate prices climb nearly $45/ton, reports cash buyer GMS.“Notwithstanding, an all too familiar lack of decent quality tonnage available to global recyclers to sink their teeth into, remains blisteringly omnipresent as the industry ventures into the traditionally quieter monsoon months and freight sectors appear to be performing firmly once again, depriving recycling destinations of meaningful tonnage yet again…

Following on from last week’s unexpected shock via the intentional depreciation in the value of the Bangladeshi Taka, it has been an altogether quieter week of sales and activity in the country, says cash buyer GMS.Domestic ship recyclers are evaluating the potential costs and implications of further depreciations, given that the Taka slipped further into BDT 117 territory against the U.S. Dollar this week. “As Bangladesh’s outflow of foreign currency reserves increases once again…

Towards the end of the working week, the Bangladeshi Taka crashed by about 6.4% against the U.S. dollar in a couple of days. This depreciation in the Taka will translate into higher L/C costs that should escalate by about 6% - 7% (at least), reports cash buyer GMS.This will further reduce already suffocated margins that have resulted from flatlining steel plate prices, ensuring that upcoming vessel acquisitions will be more expensive for local recyclers, who will lose out to a firming India…

On the back of freight markets that are finally facing their first set of 2024 jitters, the industry is gradually witnessing an increasing number of units being proposed for a recycling sale, all of which are being confirmed via the sudden influx of tonnage at the Indian and Bangladeshi waterfronts this week, reports cash buyer GMS.This coms just as the Pakistani market (as expected) starts to fall behind on its domestic arrivals. At this rate, India looks set to sneak past the Pakistani market in the rankings…

This week, various holidays concluded across the globe just as Indian sub-continent ship recycling markets started to perk up amidst fundamentals that have independently enjoyed varying degrees of volatility and resurgence over recent weeks, reports cash buyer GMS.“Steel plate prices in Bangladesh and Pakistan remained flatlined at respectively firm levels - the effects of which has only helped these markets grab their share of high-priced fixtures since the start the of the year - all while the ever-volatile Indian plate price that fell last week…

Bangladeshi and Pakistani markets have been making noticeable improvements over recent weeks, but there remains an ongoing shortage in the global availability of ‘market’ tonnage for ship recycling, reports cash buyer GMS.As evident from the number of arrivals and beachings this week, an increasing number of ship recyclers have clearly managed to and are reportedly still in the process of obtaining further approvals on L/Cs from their respective banks. “As a result, there is now a noticeable disparity in offers emanating from recyclers from the same sub-continent destination…

Despite the Pakistani & Bangladeshi markets stabilizing and displaying a far greater aggression at the bidding tables over the last five weeks, it has been a remarkably quieter start to 2024 for ship recycling than many had anticipated, says cash buyer GMS.With Houthi attacks, trading markets have remained unseasonably firmer, thereby delaying the historical ‘post-New Year aggression’ from the sub-continent ship recycling markets that the industry has become accustomed to over…

With the conclusion of week 11, the ongoing and seemingly endless dearth in the supply of viable candidates has been mercifully keeping the Bangladeshi and Pakistani ship recycling markets steady, reports cash buyer GMS.“On the other hand, the Turkish and Indian markets continue to endure their respective shares of a notably trying time, given that the Turkish Lira continues to plummet even amidst a mercifully quieter week (on account of Ramadan).”GMS says: “India continues to endure its share of nerve-racking volatility in local steel plate prices as well as the Indian Rupee…

Despite the occasional smaller LDT candidate popping up for sale over recent weeks, there regrettably remains the ongoing scarcity of tonnage that is simply unable to fill the most basic of demands at the major ship-recycling destinations, reports cash buyer GMS.“As plots across Indian sub-continent markets gradually recycle through their respective shares of vessel deliveries through the first quarter of 2024, both Bangladeshi and Pakistani markets remain well-positioned despite the onset of the traditionally quieter month of Ramadan…