We are delighted that our client, Casper Shipping Ltd, has been appointed as the first UK Customs Site Operator (CSO) and has received a shipment of steel at Teesside Freeport – the first activity of a Freeport anywhere in the UK.

Casper Shipping received approximately 100 tonnes of steel from Blackwood Biofuels & Logistics and local logistics firm AV Dawson, into the South Bank area of Teesworks, which has been designated as a customs zone as part of the region’s Freeport. The steel has been delivered to a manufacturing company in the Humber.

Nikki Sayer, director at Casper Shipping, said: – “There has been a lot of hard work to bring this project to fruition but we are absolutely delighted to have been chosen as the official Customs Site Operator, and to be part of such a significant moment in Teesside’s redevelopment and future.

“We are grateful for the guidance given to us by Dominic Ward and the team at Andrew Jackson Solicitors who provided us with invaluable advice relating to our contract with the South Teesside Development Company, which owns the land on which our Customs Site is located.”

Dominic Ward, senior partner and head of shipping and transport, added: – “It has been a pleasure to assist Casper Shipping in securing this significant contract for the Teesside Freeport project.  Having worked with the team at Casper for several years, we are particularly delighted to see them go from strength to strength as they underline their position as the UK’s leading independent maritime services company.”

The 4,500-acre Teesside Freeport, which is already attracting investment from international companies, covers sites across the entire Tees Valley including Teesworks, Teesside International Airport, PD Teesport, Wilton International, Port of Middlesbrough, the Port of Hartlepool, Able Seaton Port, Redcar Bulk Terminal and LV Shipping.

The sites offer businesses tax and customs incentives including reducing red tape and providing relief from duties and import taxes. It is anticipated that the Freeport will create 18,000 jobs and drive billions into the local economy by 2027.