British Ports reacts to new ‘Free Ports’ Report

The British Ports Association has welcomed the renewed focus on role that ports play in regional and national UK economies in a new report on ‘Supercharged Free Ports’. The Report was created consultancy company, Mace, and published on June 18 2018.

The report goes into detail on the opportunities presented by ‘super charging’ free ports. A ‘Free Port” allows certain exemptions from customs duties and tariffs which enables added value processes to take place. A ‘Free Port’ can be set up under UK law, however, depending on the type of Brexit deal the UK Government negotiates they could be more relevant to the UK.

Richard Ballantyne, Chief Executive of the British Ports Association, said: “We welcome the discussion about ports which shows how central they are to regional and national economies. Establishing a Free Port alone could be quite a challenging exercise but combining other stimulus in areas such as enterprise and planning would enable ports to grow and develop. Should these zones be taken forward, we would expect them to be voluntary and implemented in a similar way across the country in a way that does not distort competition. Ports are economic areas that have been built up over many years, supporting jobs and businesses. They are often at the heart of their communities supporting trade, offshore industries, fishing, leisure and tourism as well as providing vital transport links.”

For more information and to read the full report, click here.

25th June 2018