Will owners who comply with the Hong Kong Convention be in legal jeopardy?

Herman Steen and Gisken Andersen, at Wikborg Rein, consider how the IMO is tackling market concerns around how the Hong Kong Convention will work in practice

IMCO, together with the International Chamber of Shipping, Norway, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, has urged the IMO to solve conflicting requirements between the Hong Kong Convention and the Basel Convention ahead of the entry into force of the Hong Kong Convention on 26 June 2025. Shipowners and others may potentially be exposed to severe consequences, including criminal liability, when recycling ships in the major ship recycling countries in south Asia such as Bangladesh, India and Pakistan - even if the ships and facilities comply with the Hong Kong Convention. The IMO is now kicking the ball to the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention, asking for clarifications.