[BHP Resumes Talks With Port Hedland Unions Following First Strike in 26 Years]

Published: Aug 10, 2026 10:44

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BHP resumed negotiations with unions representing roughly 450 operators and maintenance workers at its Port Hedland iron ore export terminal in Western Australia after an eight-hour strike on July 16 involving up to 200 workers, the first industrial action at the port since 2000. Talks over a new four-year enterprise agreement have run for more than seven months without resolution. The Western Australian Chamber of Minerals and Energy estimated the strike's direct export revenue and royalty loss at approximately A$57 million, with market participants estimating around 2 million tonnes of shipments affected, though a loaded vessel still departed the port on July 17 despite union threats to halt shipping. Port Hedland is the sole export outlet for all of BHP's Western Australian iron ore production and the world's largest bulk iron ore export terminal by throughput. The dispute centers on union objections to BHP's use of individual employment contracts. As of the most recent reporting, negotiations were ongoing rather than resolved.

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