The Port of Llanelli
The Port of Llanelli was an essential trade hub in the 19th century. During the first half of the 1800s, coal, lead, and copper were the main exports from the area.
In the latter half of the 19th century, Llanelli docks grew after the town became a dominant player in the tinplate industry, following the introduction of the commodity to the UK by manufacturers in Pontypool – approximately 60 miles away.
Following the closure of the old tinplate mills, the Llanelli docks closed in 1951. Now, the local area is mostly served by the ports of Swansea and Port Talbot on the opposite side of the Gower Peninsular.
Custom Support Llanelli
Serving as our partner office to Customs Support Waterford for UK – Ireland customs clearances, Customs Support Llanelli provides a full portfolio of services for trade over the Irish Sea:
Our Llanelli office is also supported by our specialist services team and the team in Waterford, working to keep you ahead of changes with the Windsor Agreement in Northern Ireland, and help you reclaim duty with the Northern Ireland Duty Reimbursement Scheme.
Did you know:
- Llanelli once held the nickname “Tinopolis” due to the vast amount of tinplate made in the area. Tinplate is made by coating sheets of iron with tin to prevent corrosion, similar to the process of galvanisation – which coats the metal with zinc.
- The Felinfoel Brewery in Llanelli was the first to produce the beer can in the UK, closely beating local competitor Buckley’s. Felinfoel used the same concept as tin plate, but used wax to coat the can instead of another metal.
- The Stepney spare wheel was invented in Llanelli in 1904 – the first of its kind. Although it has been phased out as car manufacturers began to provide the full spare wheels we know today, the Stepney can still be found across the world – also called an Estape in some regions.
- Llanelli has a reputation for being a very proud town, both historically and in the present day. There is a strong community of people who still speak the Welsh language daily, as opposed to English, and the townspeople passionately support their rugby union team – the Scarlets.
- Despite the large number of people in the town that speak Welsh, Llanelli was once the largest town to have the majority of the population speak Celtic. This was in the mid-1900s
Need help with customs in the Port of Llanelli?
Working with our offices throughout the UK, Ireland, and the rest of the European Union, Customs Support Llanelli is the only customs partner that you need when importing or exporting out of Wales. Contact us today to see what we can do for you.
