As the dust begins to settle following the decision of the British people to leave the European Union, the UK’s maritime industry pledges to continue to work closely with government to champion and grow maritime, ensuring it fulfils its crucial role in growing and strengthening the UK economy as we chart a new course forward.

The Chairman of Maritime UK, David Dingle CBE, commented;

“The maritime industry is the engine of British trade, supporting over 500,000 jobs, contributing £22.2bn to UK GDP and driving exports and inward investment.

“As an island nation, our industry is a vital part of our heritage and of our modern economy – supporting British jobs, driving innovation and enabling trade. More than ever, the UK must expand international trade to help grow our economy and deliver prosperity across the country.

“Put simply, it is the maritime industry’s job to ensure that the UK is open for business and our industry stands ready to assist the government in this programme as we move forward in pursuit of a shared and ambitious agenda for growth.”

Maritime UK, in conjunction with industry and government stakeholders will work to ensure that the voice of our industry is heard in the discussions ahead.

The industry grouping has already written to the new Prime Minister and Secretaries of State for Transport, International Trade and Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, offering the support and expertise of the industry.

In addition, Maritime UK and its members will be working to analyse the potential impacts and opportunities for the industry as the UK begins the process of negotiating its departure from the EU. We will hold a number of events in the coming weeks and months to gather stakeholder views, raise the profile of the industry and ensure its voice is heard as discussions move forward.