Freeports consultation
The consultation to inform the UK Government's Freeports policy is now closed. The summary of responses can be downloaded further down this page.
This consultation was published on 10 February. It was due to close on 20 April but was extended until 13 July 2020 to allow stakeholders additional time to respond as the government recognised that many sectors with an interest in this policy have been affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).
The government is working to boost economic activity across the UK, levelling up towns, cities and regions across the country.
As part of this, the government wants to establish Freeports, which have different customs rules than the rest of the country, that are innovative hubs, boost global trade, attract inward investment and increase productivity. In doing so, the government wants Freeports to generate employment opportunities to the benefit of some of our most deprived communities around the UK.
The government has the following objectives for UK Freeports:
- establish Freeports as national hubs for global trade and investment across the UK
- promote regeneration and job creation
- create hotbeds for innovation
We want all the nations of the UK to be able to share in the benefits of Freeports. We are working with the devolved administrations to develop proposals to allow Freeports to be created in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in addition to those in England.