About Ports 

There are about 120 commercial ports in the UK which include major all-purpose ports such as London and Liverpool, ferry ports such as Dover, specialised container ports such as Felixstowe and ports catering for specialised bulk traffic such as grain which is handled at the Port of Ipswich.  There are also many smaller ports which cater for local traffic specialising in sectors such as fishing or leisure crafts.

The UK ports industry handles 95% of UK import and export by volume - about 500 million tonnes of freight per year - and around 22 million international passengers pass through UK ports each year.  The port of Felixstowe handles around 26 million tons of cargo.

Below are the range of different ports that we have in Norfolk and Suffolk, between them the ports offer a whole range of career opportunities with the Port of Felixstowe employing over 2,500 people directly....

  • Felixstowe is the biggest container port in the UK and one of the largest in Europe and welcomes over 3000 ships each year.
  • Lowestoft offers servicing facilities for the North sea offshore wind, oil and gas industries.
  • Ipswich is the largest port for UK agricultural export.
  • Great Yarmouth offers servicing facilities for the offshore renewable and oil and gas industries.
  • King’s Lynn is a regional hub for agricultural products and offers extensive handling and storage facilitates.
  • Wells offers servicing facilities for wind farms and has a harbour which supports vessels for fishing, leisure and tourism.

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There are about 120 commercial ports in the United Kingdom.

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Youth Photography Competition
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27th August 2021
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As part of London International Shipping Week and the wider Maritime Careers and Outreach Programme, Maritime UK is organising a photography competition, encouraging children and young people to take another look at the world of maritime.
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Maritime UK Jobs Fair
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Maritime UK will be hosting a maritime jobs fair as part of London International Shipping Week in September. The event will take place on Thursday 16 September, between 09:00 and 18:30, and is open to job-seekers of all levels and from all careers..
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Maritime UK Careers Fair
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15th September 2021
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Maritime UK will be hosting a maritime careers fair as part of London International Shipping Week in September. The event will take place on Wednesday 15 September, between 09:00 and 16:00.
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