The laden ship left the port of Hedland in Western Australia to deliver the billionth tonne of iron ore that Australia's largest mining company, BHP, sent to Japan.
Most of the old mines in the Pilbara region were established in the late 1960s and 70s based on growing demand from Japan as the country revitalized its heavy industry, manufacturing and technology sectors.
Jimmy Wilson, president of the BHP iron ore company, said his company sent its first shipment of iron ore to Japan in 1966 and has since increased its production capacity to more than 220 million tonnes per year. He added that the company plans to ship its billionth ton of iron ore to China this year.
The growing demand for iron ore in recent decades has fueled huge events and changes to the landscape in Australia. The mining industry has been cyclical for many years, swinging between booms and bustles.
BHP is currently experiencing difficult times with the falling price of iron ore. The company is making significant cuts in its iron ore mining costs, even with several thousand job cuts. This makes it possible to survive in the competition and stay afloat, increasing production capacity. While smaller companies are forced to close their mines, unable to sell their raw materials at such a low price.
Australian giant BHP ships 1 billion ton of iron ore to Japan
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Azovpromstal® 3 July 2014 г. 12:00 |
