Uncertainty in the major commodity markets, particularly coal and iron ore, has reduced the appetite of large import terminals to invest in items such as grabs, but the general market is healthy for smaller units, both general purpose and specialised designs. Demand for some medium-sized grabs has slowed, but mainly for shipboard units. With the shipbuilding industry in recession and overcapacity in most shipping sectors, including geared Handymax vessels, sales of remotely operated grabs that are part of a ship's inventory when delivered have suffered. China's domination of the global shipbuilding industry has meant Chinese grab manufactures have been hardest hit. However, the market for single rope grabs, particularly for smaller applications where a dedicated two rope crane is not available, appears to be growing.
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