PM concerned by Australian mining supplier lockout

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has vowed to take on mining corporations that lock Australian suppliers out of domestic resource projects.

The Prime Minister said she was "extremely concerned" about anecdotal evidence that Australian suppliers were being discriminated against in mining industry contracts that specified the use of Chinese equipment and suppliers.

"Any clear evidence of this will be taken by us to the World Trade Organisation because it is in breach of the rules and it is not giving Aussie manufacturers a fair go," she said.

The Australian Industry Group has warned that overseas-based prime contractors are giving preference to sub-contractors and suppliers in their country of origin "under explicit or implicit local preference arrangements and practices".

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