The voice of business in the Tees region | 79
Message - PD Ports' Jerry Hopkinson
says Tees Port is perfectly placed for
Free Port status.
“We have a skilled workforce and there is
an appetite across the region to invigorate
industry and see greater investment and
development. All those elements combine
to make a profound case.”
have all those factors. Having a Free Port
is a catalyst for what we want to do, not a
silver bullet.”
A 100-page White Paper commissioned
by the Tees Valley mayor, Ben Houchen,
calculated that a Teesside Free Port could
give a £2bn shot in the arm to the UK
economy and create up to 32,000 new jobs
over 25 years.
“There’s no sense telling the government
it’s a great idea without understanding its
impact on the economy,” says Jerry. “Both
the TVCA and PD Ports recognised that we
needed to evaluate the socio-economic
benefit to the Tees Valley versus the loss
of revenue to the
Treasury, which is
why this report was
commissioned.
“But I’d be bitterly
disappointed if the
government decided to
bring in Free Ports but
not on Teesside. Quite
frankly, that just wouldn’t make sense.”
Government support for Free Ports
stepped up a level recently with the
announcement to create a Free Ports
Commission. The announcement was made
by the secretary of state for international
trade, Liz Truss, on her visit to Teesport in
August.
The commission will invite ports and
airports across the country to bid to
become one of up to ten Free Ports.
Jerry welcomed this announcement,
saying: “Free Port status could help to drive
industry, which is globally moveable, to
choose to move to the UK, and to locate
here in our region.”
Jerry criticised some press reports
wrongly linking Free Ports with bypassing
employment regulations and health and
safety legislation or even encouraging
crime.
“We’re not looking at moving industry
that’s already operating successfully
elsewhere in the UK into the Free Port area
either – that wouldn’t achieve anything,” he
added.
“But where an international manufacturer
is looking at setting up a new centre and
the UK could be considered, we want to
promote Teesside. It has to be focused
on manufacturing – that’s where the real
benefit lies.”
Jerry will be representing PD Ports on a
panel to discuss Free Ports in September
as PD Ports hosts an event at London
International Shipping Week.
To find out more, visit pdports.co.uk.