UK Major Ports Group

Deadline day for English freeports – bids from ‘every major seaport operator’

The deadline for submission of bids to build and operate seven proposed freeports in England passes today, with as many as 40 bids understood to have been received by the UK Treasury. 
A further three freeports are planned for Scotland, Wales and Nothern Ireland. 
The government opened the bidding process in the middle of November, which meant a very tight window for ports and local enterprise authorities to form consortia and submit bids – a timeline that has been criticised within the...

https://theloadstar.com/deadline-day-for-english-freeports-bids-from-every-major-seaport-operator/

UK shippers demand parliamentary inquiry into port congestion

Some of the UK’s largest shippers have written to MPs demanding a parliamentary inquiry into the port congestion crippling the country’s container supply chains.
A letter from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Food and Drink Federation (FDF) to Lilian Greenwood MP, chair of the Commons Transport Select Committee, and Angus Brendan MacNeil MP, chair of the Commons International Trade Committee, describes importers as facing “major challenges in building up stock …

The post UK shippers...

https://theloadstar.com/uk-shippers-demand-parliamentary-inquiry-into-port-congestion/

Delays inevitable at UK ports, as inspection facilities won’t be Brexit-ready

UK trade can expect a “painful” exit from the European Union as ports requiring physical changes are left hanging on responses for government tenders to build new infrastructure.
CEO of the UK Major Ports Group Tim Morris told a parliamentary select committee this week he did not expect the responses until the end of the month, at the earliest.
“This means we will have six months to build it in time for the …

The post Delays inevitable at UK ports, as inspection facilities won’t be Brexit-ready...

https://theloadstar.com/delays-inevitable-at-uk-ports-as-inspection-facilities-wont-be-brexit-ready/

Shipping lines changing course with UK-Europe services as Brexit looms

Alterations to shortsea container and ro-ro sailing schedules between the UK and continental Europe are taking place as shippers look to secure supply chain continuity as the Brexit transition period approaches its climax.
Speaking to a parliamentary select committee earlier this week, CEO of the UK Major Ports Group Tim Morris noted the arrival of multiple services.
“A number of new sailings have come on, with some elements of change as shippers try …

The post Shipping lines changing course...

https://theloadstar.com/shipping-lines-changing-course-with-uk-europe-services-as-brexit-looms/

Bidding process to develop British freeports opens, but clashes with Brexit

UK port owners and operators have welcomed the government’s decision to open the competitive bidding process for the development of up to 10 freeports.
However, with the deadline for submission of bids just 12 weeks away, there was also criticism that the government is trying to rush through the process – particularly given that it will coincide with the UK’s formal departure from the EU and the possible supply chain disruption …

The post Bidding process to develop British freeports opens, but...

https://theloadstar.com/bidding-process-to-develop-british-freeports-opens-but-clashes-with-brexit/

Other UK ports could relieve pressure on the Channel, but ‘Dover can handle it’

The UK Major Ports Group (UKMPG) has urged UK and European shippers and freight forwarders to consider using alternative home ports post-Brexit to avoid potential congestion at Dover and on the roads in its immediate hinterland.
It released a report today claiming there is a considerable amount of unused capacity on the UK east coast for shippers and forwarders to switch freight flows from the cross-Channel ferry services centred on Dover.
The …

The post Other UK ports could relieve pressure on...

https://theloadstar.com/other-uk-ports-could-relieve-pressure-on-the-channel-but-dover-can-handle-it/

UK ports welcome £200m fund to help them deal with post-Brexit red tape

The UK government has unveiled a £200m ($258.5m)package in one-off grants for ports to install new order processing facilities for the departure from the EU.
The funds are part of a wider £470m investment package announced in July.
The Cabinet Office said today’s Port Infrastructure Fund would be “targeted at those ports that have the space to build new border infrastructure on their current sites so they are ready to handle new …

The post UK ports welcome £200m fund to help them deal with...

https://theloadstar.com/uk-ports-welcome-200m-fund-to-help-them-deal-with-post-brexit-red-tape/

Cautious industry welcome for ‘light touch’ post-Brexit customs controls

The freight industry has “cautiously welcomed” news that the UK government is to stagger import controls throughout 2020, but has warned that without an extension to the transition period, getting a trade deal will be crucial.
“A recent survey of our members revealed that the majority believe an extension to the transition period is desirable if no trade deal is agreed by 31 December, and UK trade with the EU is …

The post Cautious industry welcome for ‘light touch’ post-Brexit customs controls...

https://theloadstar.com/cautious-industry-welcome-for-relaxed-post-brexit-customs-controls/

Creating freeports will be ‘no magic wand’ for a post-Brexit Britain

Freeports (otherwise known as free-trade zones, or FTZs) are “not a magic wand for reviving struggling regions”, despite claims made by the UK’s international trade secretary Liz Truss.
Shortly following her appointment, Ms Truss claimed FTZs would transform towns and cities across the UK, but senior ports analyst at Drewry Maritime Neil Davidson said: “Most successful FTZs are those launched in already successful ports, ie the big busy gateways… critical mass matters.”
Mr …

The post Creating...

https://theloadstar.com/creating-freeports-will-be-no-magic-wand-for-a-post-brexit-britain/

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