Freeports are designated areas within the UK’s borders where different customs and trade rules and regulations apply, as well as some regulatory easements to make processes faster and more competitive. Specialised sites within the freeport benefit from trade and customs simplifications, providing greater incentives for investment and trade.

This means that goods entering the Anglesey Freeport will not be subject to the usual UK tax and customs measures until they enter the UK market – and if they are reexported, they will not be subject to the usual UK tax measures. This makes freeports highly attractive to investors looking to transit goods through the UK, as well as invest locally in Anglesey.

Other tax sites will have tax incentives and regulatory easements for investors. These easements will not diminish the UK’s high levels of protection of labour and environmental matters.

Last year, the UK Government announced the establishment of eight freeports across England. More recently, the UK Government has committed to establishing at least one freeport in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The Freeport Programme in Wales is being led by both UK and Welsh Governments, and aims to promote regeneration and high-quality job creation, establish hubs for global trade and investment, and foster an innovative environment. The opportunity to bring a freeport to Anglesey is a once-in-a-generation chance to cement the region as a hub of global trading excellence, helping to turbocharge regional growth and bring new, exciting jobs which deliver for local people.

Anglesey has unique characteristics which make it unquestionably the most attractive place for the establishment of a new freeport. The area’s proud trading history is underpinned by world-leading infrastructure and long-term experience in working with traders from across the globe.

The investment which the freeport will deliver must also go with the grain of both Stena and Isle of Anglesey County Council’s long-term sustainability objectives, including the Council’s Energy Island programme. Anglesey is already a hub for sustainable energy, with industry-leading initiatives along its coastline driving the UK towards its net zero objectives. We are determined that the freeport helps to create the right conditions for businesses and entrepreneurs to continue to choose Anglesey as their base for developing sustainable and innovative technologies. Direct investment from business will also bring broader opportunities for investment in R&D, servicing the supply chain of new green technologies, and increasing manufacturing output across North Wales.

Finally, the freeport on Anglesey will help to boost Holyhead trade by empowering traders to use the fastest route between Ireland and the European continent – the “land-bridge” from Holyhead to Dover – rather than longer, more inefficient, and costly shipping routes.

Our analysis – conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research – indicates that the Anglesey Freeport could create 3,500 new jobs and potentially bring up to 13,000 jobs across Anglesey and North Wales ore broadly over a 15-year period. This could increase economic activity by £1bn by 2030, stimulated by business investment working in partnership with world-class educational institutions, supporting the upskilling of communities across Anglesey and North Wales.

The freeport bid includes a strong educational component focused on upskilling workers in areas like customs and trade, supply chain management and all aspects of Anglesey’s Energy Island position.  The idea is to ensure that the good, high-paying jobs demanded from the successful freeport will be retained in Anglesey and that young people will be encouraged to stay in the region and work in good, high-paying jobs. This will also strengthen the Welsh language as its use will not be dissipated.

Education and opportunity  

Stena and Isle of Anglesey County Council continue actively engaging with Bangor University, M-Sparc, the Institute of Export and International Trade, and Grwp Llandrillo Menai. All these institutions have played an active role in the submission and will continue to work closely with the consortium should the bid succeed. It is vital that local educational partners play an active role in upskilling the Anglesey workforce to take advantage of the new opportunities afforded by the freeport, and Stena and Isle of Anglesey County Council have a shared ambition to create a World Customs Academy – in partnership with Bangor University – to ensure that local talent has the skills they need to take advantage of the many employment opportunities the freeport will bring. 

High-skilled, high-wage jobs

A primary benefit of the freeport will be the creation of high-skilled, high-wage jobs, which provide new opportunities for local people. The bid team received under 40 letters of support from businesses and educational institutes eager to make the most of the freeport opportunity. Businesses included global manufacturing giants such as BP, Rolls Royce, Fujitsu and Bechtel, as well as firms local to Anglesey, such as Holyhead Towing.

Protecting Welsh identity  

By operating as a magnet to retain local talent, the freeport will help to protect the area’s proud identity, including the Welsh language.

Several sites across Anglesey are currently being assessed against the freeport prospectus, and we’re confident that the preferred sites – once confirmed – will be those which bring maximum benefit to Anglesey and North Wales. Stena and Isle of Anglesey County Council are working at pace to ensure the site selection process delivers for communities across Anglesey, not just in Holyhead.

Over the next 10-15 years, we expect to see a rejuvenation of Anglesey and the wider North Wales. As we see new businesses come to take advantage of the freeport, the infrastructure will be upgraded accordingly.

An Anglesey freeport will create new jobs, rather than displace others. Throughout the bid writing process, we spoke with almost 40 businesses interested in the opportunity presented by a freeport on the Isle of Anglesey. Many of these businesses noted in their support for the bid that they would not otherwise be seeking to invest in Anglesey or North Wales.

The Anglesey freeport will be governed by best-in-class World Free Zone Organisation/OECD rules on SafeZones and Clean Zones. There will be some customs and trade facilitation which are common among all such zones around the world.

There will also be significant anti-money laundering and anti-intellectual property theft/counterfeiting rules. In addition, the Welsh government has set specific rules for all bids, highlighting that they must protect environmental and workers’ rights. The IACC also has statutory duties to ensure all workers’ rights are upheld to the highest standard. Far from lowering standards, the freeport will improve them.

You can contact us by emailing info@angleseyfreeport.com and one of our team will respond as soon as we can.