Annual Reports Show Australian Companies Profit from Asian/Global Investments

Sydney, Nov 23, 2005 AEST (ABN Newswire) - A critical juncture has been reached for Australia's corporate development. Many companies have reached market share saturation locally, and the next level of growth for many is going offshore.

Fueled by government incentive (removal of the 15% withholding tax on dividends repatriated back to Australia) and the growth of the local economy, companies are looking to foreign markets, and succeeding across a broad range of industries.

With the Australian corporate landscape in the best shape for 15 years, the choice is to pay back the capital, or expand offshore.

Australian companies that have been steadily building their investments overseas in recent years are among some of the strongest profit performers.

Australian Companies Offshore:


             %Assets    %profit
              offshore  offshore
Ansell          48%     75%     US, Europe, Asia
Aristocrat      25%     27%     North/South America, Japan
Amcor           75%     65%     North/South America, Japan
BlueScope       46%     30%     US, Asia, India
BHP Billiton    51%     --      North/South America, Europe, Japan
Boral           27%     26%     US, Asia
Brambles        87%     79%     Europe, Americas
Coca-Cola Amatil36%     17%     Indonesia, South Korea
Computershare   72%     32%     Europe, Asia, US, South Africa, Middle East
CSL             80%     85%     Germany, Switzerland, US, Japan
Foster's        38%     25%     Europe, US, UK, Asia
PaperLinX       60%     87%     Europe, US, Asia
Orica           32%     43%     Europe, US, Africa, Asia
ResMed          39%     --      France, Germany, US
Rio Tinto       39%     50%     Africa, North/South America, Asia
Macquarie Bank  55%     --      Europe, Asia, US
Macquarie Infr. 65%     49%     Europe, North America
QBE             75%     69%     Europe, UK, US, Asia
Westfield       53%     56%     US, UK
Toll            29%     --      NZ, Asia
Lend Lease      72%     74%     Europe, US, Asia

Source: 2004-2005 Annual Reports

About BHP Group Ltd

BHP Group Ltd (ASX:BHP) is a world-leading resources company. We work in more than 90 locations worldwide and our products are sold globally. We've positioned our business to support the megatrends shaping our world. Iron ore and metallurgical coal for the steel needed for global infrastructure and the energy transition. Copper for renewable energy. And we are moving into potash to support more sustainable farming.

About Brambles Limited

Brambles Limited (ASX:BXB) (OTCMKTS:BXBLY) under the CHEP brand, helps move more goods to more people, in more places than any other organisation on earth. Its pallets, crates and containers form the invisible backbone of the global supply chain and the world's biggest brands trust Brambles to help them transport their goods more efficiently, sustainably and safely. As pioneers of the sharing economy, Brambles created one of the world's most sustainable logistics businesses through the share and reuse of its platforms under a model known as 'pooling'. Brambles primarily serves the fast-moving consumer goods (e.g. dry food, grocery, and health and personal care), fresh produce, beverage, retail and general manufacturing industries. The Group employs approximately 13,000 people and owns approximately 347 million pallets, crates and containers through a network of more than 750 service centres. Brambles operates in approximately 60 countries with its largest operations in North America and Western Europe.

About CSL Limited

CSL Limited (ASX:CSL) (OTCMKTS:CSLLY) is a leading global biotechnology company with a dynamic portfolio of lifesaving medicines, including those that treat haemophilia and immune deficiencies, vaccines to prevent influenza, and therapies in iron deficiency, dialysis and nephrology. Since our start in 1916, we have been driven by our promise to save lives using the latest technologies. Today, CSL – including our three businesses, CSL Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor – provides lifesaving products to patients in more than 100 countries and employs 30,000 people.