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ARTICLE · 29 APRIL 2010

Free Ports

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A free port is a tax-free zone where goods may be stored free of tax. There are free ports in the UK.

United KingdomInternational Law
Pierre Valentin
Pierre Valentin
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A free port is a tax-free zone where goods may be stored free of tax. There are free ports in the UK. However, they do not offer as many tax advantages or the high level of security as the well established free ports in Switzerland. A newly opened state-of-the-art free port in Singapore looks set to create competition for the Swiss free ports.

United Kingdom

In the UK, there are free ports (or zones) in Humberside, Liverpool, Prestwick, Sheerness, Southampton and Tilbury. In these designated areas, goods imported from outside the EU are not subject to import VAT and Customs duties until they are released out of the free port into the EU. There are no special reliefs from other taxes in free ports. Supplies of goods and services within the zone are subject to normal VAT rules.

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