The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships 2009 (the Hong Kong Convention) is scheduled to come into force on 26 June 2025, having received the requisite number of ratifications in June 2023.
In November 2023, we reported on the key implications of this development for the international ship scrapping industry. Since then, the following developments are worth noting.
Pakistan ratifies Hong Kong Convention
On 30 November 2023, Pakistan acceded to the Hong Kong Convention, becoming the 23rd country to ratify the Convention. This is a significant development because Pakistan is a major ship recycling nation, reportedly the world’s fourth largest shipbreaking nation. The Convention has now been ratified by all the major ship recycling nations. BIMCO estimates that around 95% of the world’s recycled tonnage is recycled by Turkey, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan and, therefore, almost all ship recycling will in due course have to comply with the requirements of the Hong Kong Convention.
While the UK has not yet ratified the Hong Kong Convention, it is expected to do so before the Convention comes into force. Read more
