The LIE
That Freeports are new to the United Kingdom and something the country was prevented from doing whilst part of the EU.
Boris Johnson, July 2019
“We could do freeports. It would be a massive boost to this economy…We don’t because of our membership of the EU”
Rishi Sunak, 1 August 2019
“The EU is the only place where these [free ports] really don’t exist…”
James Cleverly, BBC Radio 4 Interview
“use that opportunity of Brexit to do the kind of things that we’ve been precluded from doing for decades, including free ports.”
As 🇬🇧 becomes an independent trading nation, we are today consulting on freeports.
By reducing costs and customs red tape – freeports will generate jobs and growth across the country.
Contribute to our consultation👇https://t.co/p3RGUsvACe
— Liz Truss (@trussliz) February 10, 2020
Source: Liz Truss’s Tweets on Freeports.
The REALITY
Did the EU prevent the United Kingdom from creating freeports?
No. The UK could create freeports as a member of the EU. Indeed, the UK has previously been home to several freeports, including Liverpool, Southampton, the Port of Tilbury and Glasgow Prestwick Airport. There was a total of seven freeports between 1984 and 2012, when the UK legislation that established their use was not renewed.
There are currently 80 free zones within the EU, located across 21 member states. There are 24 in England alone. These zones vary in design and can be geared towards particular industries, like bio-sciences at Manchester Airport or advanced manufacturing in Tees Valley.
It is not true to say you can’t have free ports or tax-free zones if you are a member state of the EU. There are more than 80 such zones across the Union. It would be easier to take advantage of potential benefits outside the EU.
Free zones
Member States may designate parts of the customs territory of the Union as ‘free zones’; these free zones must be communicated to the European Commission.