Large national infrastructure projects have rarely been delivered at the pace of the UK Freeport programme; in March 2020, the government launched its consultation document, and in March 2021 it was announced that, subject to completing the necessary authorisation processes, the above eight locations would become Freeports.
Freeports are a special kind of air, rail, or seaport, where normal tax and customs rules don’t apply, says John Lucy, director of Liverpool City Region Freeport