"A proactive opportunity for all ports and marine facilities to review, assess, and demonstrate proportional alignment with the Code," said the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s interim Ports and VTS manager Keeta Rowlands, as a new three‑month safety compliance window opened on New Year’s Day. The exercise covers ports, harbours, terminals and marinas nationwide and runs from 1 January to 31 March 2026.

The framework in question is the Ports and Marine Facilities Safety Code (PMSC). While not a legal requirement, government and industry expect operators to follow it. The Code was refreshed in April 2025 and broadened to include marine facilities beyond statutory harbour authorities, with this cycle covering 2026–2028.

For the North, the stakes are obvious. Around 85% of the UK’s international trade by weight moves by sea, and Grimsby & Immingham alone accounted for about 10% of all UK tonnage in 2024, second only to London. That’s fuel, food, steel and consumer goods moving through Northern gates every day.

What needs doing now is straightforward: each organisation’s duty holder must upload a signed declaration through the GOV.UK online form before 31 March. The form can’t be paused mid‑way, and every facility submits for itself-statutory harbour authorities are not expected to file on behalf of tenants.

Busy Northern hubs underline why this matters. On the Tyne, the port reported record 2024 results and its best‑ever cruise year with 72 calls-activity that demands tight control of pilotage plans, berthing and vessel movements. Good governance on paper needs to match pressure on the quay.

Across the Irish Sea routes, Heysham handled a record 5.51 million tonnes of freight in 2024 and is mid‑upgrade with a £10m plan and new Stena ‘NewMax’ vessels boosting capacity. More trucks, trailers and sailings mean a sharper focus on risk assessments and incident reporting.

On Teesside, PD Ports has been modernising operations-from automated weighbridges to investment in bulk handling-serving chemicals, energy and renewables customers around the Tees Valley. Demonstrating compliance gives cargo owners and communities confidence in how those movements are managed.

Over on the Humber, Grimsby remains a leading car terminal, importing around half a million vehicles a year-another reminder that safe, efficient marine operations are tied to Northern jobs and supply chains far beyond the dock gates.

The refreshed Code emphasises clear accountability at board level and proportionate controls. Many ports use an independent designated person to assure the marine safety management system, and where operations overlap, "bridging" documents help set who does what. If in doubt, get those basics in order before you hit submit.