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GABC Chair meets Australian PM, Berlin, July 2023

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Business Council Chair, Sabine Pittrof had the pleasure of attending a reception in honour of the Prime Minister of Australia, The Hon. Anthony Albanese in Berlin. The Prime Minister spoke about the importance of the relationship of the two countries and strong business relations. He emphasised the significance of the recent defence deal with Germany purchasing Boxer vehicles from Australia and energy collaboration. Mr Albanese added that already four cabinet ministers had visited Germany during his term of government.
The Business Council welcomes this increased focus on the bilateral relationship and will continue to support the strengthening of bilateral business ties through its various activities.

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Queensland, Bavaria research agreement to help combat climate change

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The Queensland Government has today signed a new science research agreement between the Bavarian State Government of Germany and the Queensland Government.

The exciting new agreement helps us unlock the strengths of our two states capabilities and fosters increased cooperation in research, development and industry collaboration at the higher education level to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes, particularly in the bio economy sector. It will help us work together and faster in trying to meet our most pressing global challenges, climate change and achieving net zero emissions.

This important agreement was signed during a live video teleconference by the Hon. Leanne Linard MP, Queensland’s Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Minister for Science and Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Markus Blume, Bavarian Minister for Science and the Arts.

This partnership will drive forward some already existing and very effective relationships between our world leading universities and create new areas for collaboration and opportunity in critical areas such as, but not exclusively:

☀ energy (including green hydrogen, synthetic fuels and energy storage)
💧 cleantech and emission reduction technologies
🤖 artificial intelligence
🖥 quantum technologies
🏗 additive manufacturing
🔬 life sciences, biomedical research and bioeconomy
🚀 aerospace

On behalf of the Queensland Government, the Queensland Department of Environment and Science supported by Trade and Investment Queensland will help guide and deliver upon this agreement in practice, working with universities, researchers, institutes and commercial organisations.  Henriette Pook, our dedicated Director, Research Partnerships based in Frankfurt, Germany will be leading TIQ’s efforts, together with colleagues in Brisbane, Frankfurt and London.

Learn more about the agreement and signing that took place virtually this morning here: https://lnkd.in/gX5WyEzJ

Queensland and Bavarian universities, researchers and all interested stakeholders wishing to learn more about the agreement should contact Henriette and our Trade and Investment Queensland colleagues today.

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Volt Resources

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Volt Resource announces successful restart of graphite production at their Ukrainian mine

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Australian-based graphite producer and graphite anode materials developer Volt Resources Limited has announced on 8 May that, following the winter stoppage at the Ukrainian Zavalievsky graphite mine and processing plant, in-depth production planning determined a one-month-per-quarter production cycle. Production of graphite subsequently recommenced on 11 April 2023. As of 5 May 2023, over 700 tonnes of graphite concentrate had been produced, including a record daily production of 88 tonnes on 26 April 2023. The average daily production is 54 tonnes with most of the graphite concentrate produced during the campaign achieving 88-96% purity. The Company plans to complete this current production campaign in mid-May 2023.

Volt CEO, Prashant Chintawar, said “Zavalievsky Graphite is a part of our growth strategy, and positions Volt as one of a small number of ex-China graphite producers globally. We congratulate the Zavalievsky team for overcoming many challenges, including power and supply chain disruptions, and personnel availability, to execute our operating plan for 2023 and deliver a very successful restart of the operation”.

Volt Resources is a client of German Australian Business Council member, DGWA based in Frankfurt. They have arranged for Volt to highlight their activities as a supplier of raw materials and their operation in war-torn Ukraine in a webinar on 23 May at 12:00 CEST. Feel free to sign up at this link.

Our raw materials focus group has organised this event. Reach out to us if you are interested in participating.

 

Lithium and the Green Revolution

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The Economist magazine reports on the importance of lithium to the green revolution. Over half of the world’s supply currently comes from Chile, and the government is creating a state-owned company to produce the mineral. Private companies will have to form joint-venture companies in the future with this state-owned company, and the state will have a majority stake. Other Latin American and African countries are planning similar moves. The magazine criticises the current resource nationalism and notes that the nationalisation of companies has had a bad track record in the region, with the companies being mismanaged or corrupt. Extraction of the resources requires know-how, technology, and expertise which is currently unavailable in the region. The trend towards resource nationalism has also affected investment in the industry, as Bolivia (holding the second-largest reserves of lithium) has shown with a decree overturning a planned investment project.

The Economist also reproduces a chart which shows Australia holding a significant amount of lithium reserves, as well as supplies of other critical raw materials for the green revolution. An IMF paper recently estimated that revenues from the extraction of minerals, such as lithium, copper, cobalt and nickel, could rise four-fold because of the increased demand.

At the German Australian Business Council, we shall be looking at the implications for business in the next few months. Sign up for further information.

Mining Excavator

Australian Resources Minister welcomes “like-minded” foreign investors for Critical Minerals Projects

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ExcavatorSpeaking in Darwin, Madeleine King, Australia’s Resources Minister, has reportedly said that Australia will be welcoming “like-minded” investors to invest in critical minerals projects, according to the Australian Financial Review.

The report continues that Minister King did not flag any ban on Chinese investment into the industry, but as the AFR continues, Australian Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has already indicated that the country would be more assertive in ensuring that investment from abroad into critical minerals projects would be aligned with Australia’s national interest. He has already acted by preventing a major supplier of minerals from China from taking a bigger stake in one company.

At the German Australian Business Council, we are monitoring these developments closely. The recent visit by a German delegation to Australia and the forthcoming European Critical Raw Materials Act will provide an excellent opportunity to deepen relations between our countries.

Australia and Germany to collaborate on critical minerals study

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Australia and Germany will work together to create new opportunities for critical minerals projects in order to meet climate and energy targets. Australian Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King signed a joint Declaration of Intent with Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Dr Franziska Brantner, in Perth on Thursday, 6th April 2023.

The Declaration will support a joint study to help Australia meet its ambitions to develop value-added industries around critical minerals, from extraction, refinement and recycling, and to help Germany secure reliable supplies of critical minerals to underpin its manufacturing and recycling activities.

“Both Australia and Germany recognise the important opportunity we have to build diverse, resilient and sustainable critical minerals value chains,” Minister King said. “Australia has vast reserves of critical minerals, which are essential components for clean-energy technologies such as electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels and wind turbines. Both countries have complementary climate, energy and strategic ambitions. The Declaration of Intent with Germany will help us understand which critical minerals are most important to support Germany’s industries and how Australia can be a partner of choice in meeting these needs.”

Minister King will later this year release Australia’s new Critical Minerals Strategy, which will help grow the sector and reflect the important role critical minerals can play in Australia’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.

 

Press Release Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources

European Union aiming to conclude Australia Free-Trade Deal by Summer

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Bloomer is reporting that the EU is planning to conclude the free trade deal by Summer 2023 with further discussions happening in April 2023.

Apparently, the issues that still need to be agreed upon include the protection of the geographical indication of food, such as cheese, and wine, as well as data and privacy issues. An agreement on European market access for Australian meat and dairy products is also still to be finalised, as well as further progress on opening up public procurement markets.

The agreement will also include chapters on climate goals and labour standards with sanctions available should the principles of the Paris climate accords and the International Labour Organisation standards be breached.

At the German Australian Business Council, we have been active with our European partners in the ABIE network in supporting the con

WAGO Job Vacancies, Frankfurt, April 2023

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Our corporate member, Government of Western Australia, are looking to strengthen their team with two new positions, located in Frankfurt. Please find the job descriptions and application details in the attachments.

ISEC_60568_DirectorInvestmentTradeDeutschland_230320

ISEC_60569_BDManagerDeutschland_230320

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Lithium export boom in Australia

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The value of exports of Australian lithium has boomed in the recent year from AUD 5.2 billion to AUD 18.6 billion, according to figures published by the Office of the Australian Chief Economist.

Global demand for the critical raw mineral is expected to soar in the next few years as the material is used in many advanced products, such as batteries. Australia is one of the world’s key suppliers. Currently, rechargeable batteries use up to 80% of the global demand for lithium and Australia produces 53% of the world’s lithium.

Germany has recently signed agreements with Argentina to improve its supply and we hope that the forthcoming free trade agreement between the European Union and Australia will also encourage trade in raw and processed materials between the trading blocks.

ABIE Free Trade Agreement Submission, March 2023

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In March 2023 a submission was made by the German Australian Business Council on behalf of the Australian Business in Europe (ABIE) network, regarding the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the European Union. The submission was sent to the following:
• Prime Minister and Opposition Leader of Australia
• Ministers and Shadow Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Tourism, Climate Change and Energy
• Premiers of States and Chief Ministers of Territories
• Agent-Generals
• OECD Secretary-General
• EU and Australian FTA Chief Negotiators

Thanks and congratulations are extended to all those involved in putting this comprehensive submission together, in particular André Haermeyer, supported by Sabine Pittrof and Robert Harrison and many friends and colleagues from the ABIE network.

Click here for the submission: https://gabc.eu/download/abie-free-trade-agreement-submission-march-2023/