Archives
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- April 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
Freight News, Sea, Logistics, Business
Freeports idea has wind in its sails
[ September 9, 2019 // Chris ]Political momentum is building in favour of freeports, said speakers at a conference organised by the British Ports Association in London on 9 September. Deputy director of maritime policy at the Department for Transport, Rod Paterson told the event, used to launch a new Port Zones UK report, that there was now “a strong political drive” around freeports policy and that shipping and freeports minister Nusrat Ghani “cares very passionately” about the plan to create up to ten freeports or port zones around the UK.
The report has been produced by Port Zones UK, a new coalition of British airport and seaport operators.
The government was now asking port and airport operators, and their customers, for their views on how freeports and port zone should operate, ahead of planned legislation to create them.
He added that the UK’s planned departure from the EU would be an opportunity to reshape UK policy on freeports; current rules severely curtail the customs facilitations that can be offered.
Grimsby and Immingham MP, and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Freeports Group, Martin Vickers told the gathering that the government had been convinced of the case for freeports, although there might still be some battles to be won with the Treasury. Freeports, he said, would “be an opportunity to open up the UK to world markets.” sadly, the UK was not currently at the forefront of developing and promoting the concept compared with, for example, the UAE, US and China.
He suggested that UK freeports could be targeted on high-unemployment zones, especially in the north of England and had the potential to create 75,000 jobs, possibly as many as 150,000. He also dismissed suggestions from other politicians and trade unions that freeports were “sinister plan to create tax havens”.
However, freeports could only be developed if the UK was to perform a full Brexit, as opposed to . remaining in the EU customs union.
(More in the next printed issue of FBJ – FBJ 6 2019).
Tags: British Ports Association; Port Zones UK; Brexit