December 03, 2008

JFE steel moves office to Brisbane

AAP reported that a major Japanese steel producer will relocate its Australian office from Sydney to Brisbane this month. JFE Steel Corporation will be the first Japanese steel company to have a permanent presence in Queensland.

Ms Anna Bligh Bligh premier of Queensland who is mid way through a 13 day trade mission to China, Japan and India, made the announcement after a lunch in Tokyo. Ms Bligh said that the Brisbane office would initially have a workforce of six, but the number would increase as JFE made further investments in the state.

She added that "Relocation to Brisbane will provide JFE Steel with more convenient access to coal suppliers, infrastructure providers and other major players in the coal business.”

Ms Bligh said the Japanese steel manufacturers were critical to her state's export performance, purchasing AUD 3.8 billion worth of coking and thermal coal from Queensland in 2006/07 more than 10% of the state's total merchandise exports.