Australian iron ore miner Atlas Iron has stated that it welcomes the announcement on the extension of reduced port charges by the West Australian government. The reduced port charges announced by the government in 2015 have now been extended for another 12 months until June 30, 2017.
Accordingly, junior iron ore miners, including Atlas, exporting through the Utah Point port facility at Port Hedland, will continue to receive a $2.50/mt discount from Stockyard 1 and a $1.73/mt discount from Stockyard 2 until June 30, 2017.
In May 2015, the state government announced support for the junior and mid-tier iron ore industry in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. This included the provision of clarity around relief for users of the Utah Port Facility in Port Hedland, by announcing that it would lower port charges by up to $2.50/mt.