A vessel imported by one of Bangladesh’s leading shipbreaking yards has been placed under United States sanctions, leaving the ship stranded at Chattogram’s outer anchorage and blocking its beaching for demolition.
The vessel, Maymei, was imported by SN Corporation, a shipbreaking company chaired by Mohammed Showkat Ali Chowdhury. It arrived at Chattogram’s outer anchorage on 22 May but was sanctioned by the Donald Trump administration just days later over its alleged role in transporting Iranian petrochemical products.
The sanctions have left an unusual situation for Bangladesh’s shipbreaking industry: the vessel cannot proceed to the yard despite having already reached the country’s demolition hub.
Nazmul Hossain Khan, manager of SN Corporation’s Shipbreaking Yard-1, told TIMES on Tuesday that the vessel remains anchored offshore.
“Maymei is currently at the outer anchorage. Due to certain complications, we are unable to beach the vessel. SN Corporation has taken steps to send the ship back,” he said.
He declined to specify the reasons behind the decision to return it.
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) website shows Maymei, a chemical tanker, has been added to the sanctions list.
Vessel-tracking data and international shipping reports indicate the 44,800-deadweight-tonne tanker was sold for demolition shortly before the sanctions were imposed.
Industry publication TradeWinds reported the vessel arrived in Chattogram on 22 May – six days before the US State Department blacklisted it as part of Washington’s pressure campaign against Iran.
US authorities allege Maymei transported Iranian petrochemical products in July 2024. The sanctions targeted not only the vessel but also its Hong Kong-based owner and commercial manager, Ever Shining Limited.
Washington also sanctioned another Ever Shining-controlled vessel, Flora, accusing it of carrying Iranian petrochemical cargoes on multiple occasions since 2023.
Ship recycling market reports put Maymei’s demolition sale at roughly $510 per light displacement tonne. With a lightweight tonnage of 9,728 tonnes, the vessel’s estimated demolition value stood at around $4.96 million.
