UK: Prominent Developments in Free Ports since August 2019

UK free trade zones under an EU scheme were introduced in 1984 but were progessively phased out in the decades that followed. In March 2021, it was announced that eight new freeport zones would be set up in their stead. These are to be located at Teesside, the Thames Estuary in Essex, Humber, the East Midlands Airport, Felixstowe & Harwich, Solent, Liverpool and Plymouth.

Teesside freeport was the first to open on the 19th of November 2021 and is projected to create more than 18,000 high-skilled jobs and generate £3.2 billion in investment. As of July 2022, construction started on the connected £400 million SeAH offshore wind turbine facility and the firsttransaction was registered in September 2022, with a 100 ton shipment of steel. The Thames Freeport in south Essex opened the following month and is set to create over 21,000 new jobs, £2.6 billion in additional gross added value (GVA) and £4.5 billion in new public and private direct investment. Humber accounts for almost a quarter of all goods travelling through English ports, and is projected to create £7.6 billion in GVA. The East Midlands Airport, the only inland UK freeport, was given the go ahead in March 2022 and is set to deliver 61,000 jobs and £ 8.9 billion for the local economy over the next 30 years. Felixstowe & Harwich freeport aims to create 13,500 new jobs, US$ 5.5 billion in GVA and £650 million in investment for the region over the 10 years since construction commenced in April 2022. The Solent freeport including Southampton and Portsmouth area in 2022 is set to go ahead and generate 32,000 jobs and £3.57 billion GVA uplift. Liverpool City Freeport aims to attract £ 800 million in investment and create £850 million in GVA. Scotland was also aiming to chose two freeport sites, in late Autumn 2022, to begin operations in spring 2023.