BPA calls for UK freeport limitations to be dropped

The British Ports Association (BPA) has urged the UK government to expand its Freeport plan to beyond the current 10 port limit. It said in a statement “all the UK’s 125 cargo-handling ports should be given the opportunity to become freeports”.

It went on to call for the government to “maximise its ambition” by removing the cap on potential number of freeports, and said it wanted ministers to include a “much broader package of measures that would benefit a wide range if different UK ports”.

Richard Ballantyne, CEO, BPA, said: “Freeports are a transformational opportunity for some UK ports that could unleash growth and development in some of the UK’s most deprived coastal areas. We will be making the case for a package of maximum ambition in both scope and scale.”

Ports handle 95 per cent of the UK’s trade, he added: “We will be putting forward a bold set of measures that support a variety of models to fit different ports and the industries that rely on them.”

But the BPA also said freeports will not prevent certain trade frictions and that it will continue to call for a “strong trade agreement with the EU” to ensure tariffs are kept to a minimum.

The statement followed the unveiling of the UK’s freeport consultation, designed to “fully understand” the maritime industry’s thoughts on the idea.

The consultation period will last until 20 April 2020, until which time industry stakeholders can voice their opinion on the measures.

The government’s plan was to launch 10 freeports around the UK to ease the movement of goods and generate revenue in deprived and coastal communities.

For more information visit www.britishports.org.uk

10th February 2020