The British ports industry is requesting further support for port health authorities to prevent COVID-19 spreading and impacting businesses. As the number of new confirmed cases of the Wuhan Coronavirus grows, particularly in mainland Europe, the British Ports Association (BPA) has today written to the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock MP to outline the UK port sector’s growing concerns.

Following the publication of the UK’s Government’s approach to the EU trade negotiations, the British Ports Association’s Chief Executive, Richard Ballantyne said:

As the implications of the Wuhan Coronavirus become clear, ports and maritime law firm Hill Dickinson, an Associate Member of the British Ports Association (BPA), has published a short paper on the virus and its potential implications on the UK ports sector as part of the BPA’s Port Futures Programme. The Programme is a series of papers considering emerging and innovative trends in the port sector. This article is part of a forthcoming wider piece of work from Hill Dickinson and the BPA examining the potential impacts of pandemics on ports.

British Ports Association Welcomes New Maritime Minister: Best brief in Government but huge challenges ahead.

Following the Health Secretary’s statement this morning that Coronavirus represents ”serious and imminent threat” to public health, the British Ports Association is calling for more funding and support to be given to UK local authority officials to prepare our borders.

The British Ports Association has welcomed the publication of a new consultation on the introduction of free ports, which have the potential to transform coastal communities and unleash ‘port-centric’ growth.

Responding to developments today (3 February 2020) including the Prime Minister’s speech in Greenwich, the British Ports Association has called on the Government to clarify the mixed messages on trade and set out a positive and detailed vision for the UK’s trade and industrial policy.

The Department for Transport have sent us some posters in relation to the Wuhan Coronavirus for those located in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (see links below). They have asked the ports sector to ensure every effort is made to display this information where relevant and circulate to all relevant customers and stakeholders.

Were driverless HGVs to replace much of the UK’s conventional lorry and container transport within a generation, they would transform the way the RORO market works in Great Britain.

The BPA is today re-issuing our invitation for industry bodies to collaborate with us on Thought Leadership projects.