The establishment of free ports in the UK

A debate on the establishment of free ports in the UK will take place in Westminster Hall on Thursday 11 October 2018 at 1:30pm. This paper provides a brief overview of the subject, recent parliamentary material, press articles and further reading.

• Free ports are generally understood to be designated areas inside a country geographically, but outside of that country’s established customs area, allowing manufacturing, warehousing and trade outside of the host country’s standard tariffs and export/import procedures. 
• There are estimated to be 3,500 free ports in the world, employing 66 million people.
• There are no free ports in the UK, though there is one on the Isle of Man. 
• Seven free ports operated in the UK at various points between 1984 and 2012; the remaining five closed in 2012.