Weekly Snapshot

Our five minute roundup of key topics affecting UK ports sector this week

It Wasn't Me

I want to address allegations that my misuse of the office toaster in 2023 set off the fire alarm and led to the withdrawal of toasting facilities from the kitchen.* It was not me and anyone online who says otherwise is mean and a liar. I am sure that will be the end of rumours and speculation.

Yes, this week I have been taking reputation management lessons from Melania Trump, who raised eyebrows with a proactive live TV statement denying that she had been associated with Jeffrey Epstein. This of course briefly put the story back at the top of the news agenda and accelerated discussion about her involvement. A reminder that sometimes less is more.

That story even briefly replaced the war in the Middle East on news bulletins, but not for long. The volatile situation in the Middle East persisted for shipping this week, despite a tentative ceasefire agreement including a commitment to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Whilst Tehran has declared that shipping movements can resume, it is altering long-standing conventions and demanding payments that could see shipping falling foul of US sanctions.

Closer to home the Defence Secretary John Healey revealed on Thursday that a Russian submarine operation had been detected in British during a month-long operation and would face serious consequences. Another reminder of the importance of the maritime space and industries in underpinning our way of life and resilience.

And at BPA Towers this week Richard Ballantyne has been crowned the member of the team with the most port visits since 2023. We think he's travelled further than Artemis II on planes and trains around the UK racking up over 130 visits, including one this week to the Northfleet terminal on the Thames. The gauntlet has been thrown down for the rest of the team, so if you'd like to see one of us at your port, please get in touch!

Mark Simmonds

British Ports Association

(*For the record we've never had a toaster in the office.)

Treasury to Push Ahead with Landfill Tax for Dredging Stabilisers

The Exchequer Secretary wrote to the BPA this week to confirm a decision announced in the Budget that landfill tax exemption for stabilisers used for dredged material in England will be abolished. This is disappointing and we will continue to argue for a delay to the changes.

We have been urging the Government to reconsider the decision in recent months. Our view is that in the short term this puts investment in existing projects at risk. In the longer term it makes a key avenue for dredged spoil that cannot be disposed of at sea becomes even more expensive.

Our dredging group is meeting on Wednesday 15th and will discuss this issue and several other developments around dredging and disposal. The group is open to all port members. Please get in touch if you would like to attend.

Upcoming Events and Courses

Port Funding Seminar

A reminder that the Department for Transport are organising an event for ports who are or might in future be interested in accessing the various public funding sources that are available. We are supporting this event which will be held in London on Monday 27 April, the afternoon before the BPA Annual Lunch. Hosted by The Crown Estate and in-person event, it will include an outline of some of the funding opportunities currently (or soon to be) available and tips on putting together successful bids.

If you are interested please get in touch. This event is aimed at ports.

Introduction to UK Ports Course

We are running two additional sessions of our one-day Introduction to UK Ports course. These sessions are aimed at those new to the ports industry, whether you are working directly for a port, for government or regulators, or for suppliers, this will give you a basic understanding of the broad workings of the sector in the UK. The next dates are Thursday 23 April and 30 April.

Places are limited and do tend to sell out, so we encourage early booking. Find more details, including pricing and content, here.

FCDO: Mid East & Business Continuity

The Foreign Office are hosting a webinar on the Middle East - managing business continuity amid uncertainty. This is from 11.00 – 12.00 on Thursday 16 April. The webinar is run by the Diplomatic Advisory Hub, a new initiative between the FCDO and the British Chambers of Commerce to provide UK businesses with geopolitical and diplomatic insight.

This webinar is primarily aimed at UK businesses who export or who are looking to export. The webinar will focus on the topic of business continuity (supply chains, shipping and business continuity planning). You can register through the link here: Registration Form - Middle East Webinar

EOI: UK-Morocco Business Forum

The Department for Business & Trade is organising the UK-Morocco Business Forum to take place in early June 2026.

DBT are looking for firms with experience / significant interest in Morocco, and proven expertise in at least one of the following areas: infrastructure and programme development, secure delivery of major events, and legacy building. DBT suggest attendees carry decision-making authority for their organisation.

A draft programme can be found on the expression of interest form, here. Expressions of interest are invited by COP Friday 17 April. Shortly afterwards, DBT will contact successful firms with further information on arrangements and scheduling.

BPA Annual Ports Industry Awards open

As shared previously the nominations window for this year's BPA Awards. The 2026 Awards Programme includes the following six categories:

Port Development Award
Port Sustainability Award
Inclusive Workplace Award
BPA Industry Award
SME Port of the Year Award
Exceptional Contribution Award

The Annual Awards recognise excellence across the UK ports industry, celebrating organisations and individuals that demonstrate innovation, operational achievement, environmental leadership, and an outstanding contribution to the sector. These are presented at the Gala Dinner of the BPA Conference on 22 October 2026 in Dover. The Awards window closes on 17 July and details and how to apply is available here.

The Awards are open to all ports (except for the Industry award which is only open to BPA Associate Members). There is also an opportunity to sponsor an award and for further detail please contact the BPA's Events Coordinator, Jayden Cooney here.

Design the Vessel of the Future

If you or your networks know of anyone aged 11-18 who has an interest in maritime, they may be interested to hear that the Port of London Authority has launched it’s 2026 Vessels of the Future competition, asking young Thames Visionaries to design the ships, barges, ferries, yachts or clippers that they may see out and about in the Port in 2050.

Entries are welcomed from 11-18 year olds, with no prior design experience needed! Please share with your networks in case any aspiring naval architects would like to get involved. Thames Visionaries: Vessels of the Future | Port of London Authority

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