Why Brexit could be a boom time for Britain’s ports

Anyone who has followed the news over the past 18 months could be forgiven for thinking that, in our ongoing debate around Brexit, Dover is the only port currently operating within the UK. Its fate, it seems – and by implication, the fate of our other ports – is tied so closely to the outcome of our negotiations that if the right deal isn’t struck, every port in the country will become inert, with roads throughout the UK gridlocked with queues of lorries. Perhaps there’s something symbolic in this focus on Dover, our closest connection to the continent and, for many people, their route of holiday travel to Europe.

But while Dover is an important gateway, there is much more to British ports. According to the Department for Transport, 94 percent of trade and traffic passing through UK ports moves through ports other than Dover. The perceived problems our ports are facing are often overstated, and in some cases unfounded.

This isn’t to say that concerns about ports and Brexit are invalid, however.