British Ports Association welcomes Welsh Freeports announcement

The British Ports Association has welcomed the Welsh Freeports announcement but is looking for the benefits to be cascaded further, to all locations.

The British Ports Association, the industry body for ports has welcomes the announcement that the Celtic Freeport and Anglesey Freeport bids have been successfully awarded freeport status today by the UK and Welsh Governments, but it suggested that policy makers should look to grant other locations a similar status.

Richard Ballantyne Chief Executive of the British Ports Association, which represents all the ports in Wales and also facilitates the industry’s forum, the Welsh Ports Group, suggested;

We congratulate the Celtic and Anglesey Freeports and look forward to following their journey. It’s been a sensible and pragmatic decision to grant two Freeports, meaning both north and south Wales are included so we applaud the agreement reached between the UK and Welsh Governments. However, in addition there are several other port locations elsewhere that are and could also be hubs of economic activity so let’s not forget these sites.

It’s time for our decision makers to consider how all ports and trading gateways across the whole of the UK might be given the right tools to flourish. Ports are enablers for investment and job creation so why not designate many more locations? This would give all regions the opportunity to benefit from this ambitious and clearly advantageous initiative.
Source: British Ports Association