Iron ore is Australia’s highest valued and most successful commodity export (see Figure 1). Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, this mining industry played a key role in both Australia’s and the global economy. The change in the industry was brought about, particularly, by the many operations and movements resulting from globalisation that pushed Australia’s exports further than they had ever been. In 2007, “Australia produced around 16% of the world's iron ore and was ranked third behind China (32%) and Brazil (19%)” (Minerals Council of Australia, 2008). Although Australia is not the largest producer, it is currently the largest exporter of iron ore in the world (Australian Minerals Industry, 2008).
In 1997, Australia produced 158 million tonnes of iron ore. However, in 2007, this figure had more than doubled with a total of 320 million tonnes (U.S. Geological Survey, 2008). Such a significant change is partly attributed to the continuous expansion and diversification of the industry’s two key players, Rio Tinto Group and BHP Billiton, into the Pilbara region of northwestern Australia. Other sensitivities include environmental and social demands, technological advancements, and research and development amongst others. It must be noted that each of these factors can be drawn back to a single title that is a major influence on industries worldwide: globalisation. ‘Figure 2’ shows the production levels of iron ore over the 2006-07 period, and its export value compared to other mined minerals.
The driving forces of globalisation have a direct impact on the success of the iron ore mining industry in Australia in terms of the national and global economies. BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto Group, both as Transnational Corporations (TNCs), have further increased ...