The British Ports Association (BPA) is the national trade body representing the interests of UK ports and harbours. Established in 1992, the BPA advocates for over 400 port facilities and terminals across the UK, encompassing a diverse range of operators in the trust, private, and municipal sectors. Collectively, these members handle approximately 86% of the UK’s seaborne trade, as well as all maritime passenger activities and the majority of energy, fishing, and recreational port operations. The BPA’s core mission is to promote and protect the interests of its members by engaging with UK and devolved governments, the EU, and international bodies. It provides a platform for knowledge exchange, policy development, and best practice dissemination among its members. The association also emphasizes the importance of environmental sustainability, aiming to promote ports and shipping as environmentally sustainable modes of transport .

Governance of the BPA is overseen by its Council, comprising representatives from member organisations. The Council meets quarterly to set the strategic direction and policy priorities of the association. This structure ensures that the BPA remains responsive to the evolving needs of the UK ports industry. On the Council there are:

• Larger Port Representatives – Twelve places for representatives of larger ports. These include Port of London, Milford Haven, Portsmouth and Dover
• Smaller Port Representatives – five Council places reserved for representatives of smaller ports including Miles Carden CEO Falmouth Harbour, and Poole, Shoreham, Teignmouth