Scrap prices may be low, blamed on low iron-ore prices and a surge in cheap Chinese steel, but there was also much to cheer about.
Efforts to clean up the industry's act on the Indian subcontinent are beginning to gain notice with critics, and representatives from ClassNK and AP Moller-Maersk were given loud applause for the positive acknowledgment they have given to four recycling facilities at India's Alang complex.

ClassNK may have given its approval to the quartet but it was noted that some facilities in Bangladesh and Pakistan have also made significant upgrades. They just have not been given the credit for doing so just yet.
Outside the conference venue there were plenty of deals being negotiated by brokers and buyers huddled quietly in corners, and similar negotiations continued well into the night at a variety of social events organised by members of the global shipbreaking community.
Vira Maritime