Shadow INTERNATIONAL trade MINISTER visits Port of Liverpool
Peel Ports welcomed the Shadow International Trade Minister Judith Cummins MP to the Port of Liverpool on 31st May. The visit was arranged to showcase the port’s growing trading activity across the Atlantic and role as a significant contributor to the UK economy.
Bootle MP Peter Dowd was also present for the tour of the port which formed part of the Shadow Minister’s visit to the North West.
During the visit several significant investments were showcased including Peel Ports’ Liverpool2 deep-water container terminal which is connecting UK businesses with global markets.
Shipping line MSC announced in March it was launching a new service between the Mediterranean and Canada including a stop off at Liverpool. MSC and Maersk Line (2M) also announced a separate transatlantic service from Liverpool which began in 2018.
L_R_Peter Dowd MP, Warren Marshall – Group Planning Director at Peel Ports Group, and Judith Cummins MP at the new Liverpool2 Container Terminal
Mark Whitworth, Chief Executive of Peel Ports, said:
“Our investments are opening up trade opportunities for UK firms and helping business to reduce costs, congestion and carbon emissions. The capabilities we have at the Port of Liverpool are creating a new centre of gravity for the logistics sector, providing jobs and training for a new generation of workers in the country’s most iconic maritime city.”
Peter Dowd MP said
“We had wide ranging discussions on a number of areas including logistics, the rebalancing of the economy in the regions of the North of England, sustainable local employment creation, the challenges around rail and road access including the issue of wider infrastructure investment in multi modal forms of transport in relation to the needs of the environment. The meeting was constructive and recognised the challenges any major developments has on local communities.”
Judith Cummins MP, Shadow International Trade Minister, comments:
“I was delighted to visit the Port of Liverpool. It is important to see first-hand the significance to international trade and to the British economy that the port plays.”
Peel Ports has made several investments in the North West over the past five years, including the £400m Liverpool2 deep-water Container Terminal, the £125m tri-modal inland port facility and national distribution park, Port Salford, and the £100m biomass terminal at the Port of Liverpool.
Maritime is important for the North West Region. In England, outside London and the South East, the North West has the highest number of people working within the industry (34,600) and the highest GVA (£2.4 billion).
About Peel Ports
Peel Ports Group is the UK’s second largest port group, owning and operating six of the UK’s most important ports (Liverpool, Heysham, Manchester Ship Canal, Medway (Sheerness / Chatham), Clydeport and Great Yarmouth). It also operates a container terminal in Dublin and owns BG Freight shipping line, which provides short sea container services between the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe and feeder services between the UK and Ireland.
Peel Ports handles 60million tonnes of cargo every year. 13% of the total UK major ports traffic flows through ports operated by the Group. Headquartered in Liverpool, it employs around 1,600 staff, and had revenue of £717m and EBITDA of £239m for the year ending 31 March 2018.