UK ports matter

European ports used to be the world’s busiest and largest ports, but have been eclipsed by the impact of globalisation and the massive growth of container ports in Asia. 

European ports still have a major role to play in global trade and, as an island nation, particularly so for the UK. 

There are 120 commercial ports in the UK, including major all-purpose ports like Tilbury and Liverpool; ferry and Ro/Ro like Dover; specialised container ports, such as London Gateway and Felixstowe, and ports catering for specialised bulk traffic, such as coal or oil.

There are also 50 airports across the UK that are configured to accept inbound and outbound cargo.

Metro’s operations systems integrate with HMRC to provide complete customs support and digital declaration services at each and every one of these locations.

Capability that is market-leading now and will be critical following Brexit on the 1^st January 2021.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the UK’s ports and waterways was profound over the 1st quarter, with the total volume of freight decreasing 6% to 113 million tonnes and containerised traffic falling 12%.

For further information and advice on our Brexit brokerage solutions, please contact Grant Liddell or Chris Carlile for assistance.

This infographic from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport shows the values of UK port freight in numbers. It’s worth a read!

Click to Download