China’s seemingly insatiable demand for iron ore has helped global mining giant Rio Tinto subsidiary Hamersley Iron earn the mantle of Western Australia’s top exporter.
China’s seemingly insatiable demand for iron ore has helped global mining giant Rio Tinto subsidiary Hamersley Iron earn the mantle of Western Australia’s top exporter.
The Pilbara iron ore miner was awarded the Premier’s Award for Excellence at the recent 2004 Western Australian Industry and Export Awards.
A Government statement says Hamersley Iron’s development of initiatives to further strengthen relationships with Chinese steel mills had helped the company earn the coveted award.
“The company has built upon its market leadership in China to deliver growth, including the establishment of the Bao-HI Ranges joint venture with the country’s largest steel group, Shanghai Baosteel, and the construction and opening of the Eastern Range mine,” the statement says.
“Sales contracts with Chinese steel mills cover about 70 million tonnes per annum, underpinning Hamersley’s expansion plans of more than 60 per cent, with export capacity expected to reach almost 120 million tonnes by the end of 2005.”
The category winners, of which there were 13, included some of last year’s winners and finalists, as well as emerging Western Australian exporters and industry participants.
Last year’s premier’s award winner, Mt Romance, this year won the Small to Medium Manufacturer Export Award and the Regional Exporter of the Year Award, while Hamersley Iron also received the Minerals and Energy Export Award.
Sandalwood products exporter Mt Romance has been highly successful since its establishment about 15 years ago.
In 2003-04 Mt Romance lifted sandalwood export revenues by 69 per cent, with net profits up over the past five years.
However, it is not the scale but the quality of this export equation that makes it special, according to the Government statement.
“Mt Romance has pioneered Indigenous Certification, providing an environmental template with a powerful economic stimuli for regional Australia,” it says.
Hamersley and Mt Romance along with other export category winners, is now a finalist in the National Export Awards to be held on the Gold Coast in December.
WA Industry & Export Awards
Industry awards
- CY O’ Connor Award for Excellence in Engineering and Technology – Commtech Wireless; Marketing and Design Excellence Award – Messages on Hold Australia.
Export awards
- Emerging Exporter Award – Australian Gold Reagents; Small to Medium Manufacturer Export Award – Mt Romance Australia.
- Large Advanced Manufacturer Export Award – Millennium Chemicals.
- Agribusiness Export Award – WAMMCO International.
- Information and Communications Export Award – MetroCount.
- Minerals and Energy Export Award – Hamersley Iron.
- Services Export Award – RSG Global.
- Education Export Award – GEOS Perth.
- Arts and Entertainment Export Award – Storyteller Media Group.
- Tourism Export Award – Burswood International Resort Casino.
- Regional Exporter of the Year – Mt Romance Australia.
