Rio Tinto
A UK/Australian dual-listed mining group and one of the world's largest metals and mining companies; its Kennecott unit operates copper mining, smelting and refining near Salt Lake City, Utah.
Covered in 14 MetalsCost.com News Intelligence articles, most recently on October 1, 2026.
Coverage
Rio Tinto and Australian Governments Keep the Bell Bay Aluminium Smelter Running Until 2031
Rio Tinto and the Tasmanian and Australian governments have agreed to keep the Bell Bay Aluminium smelter in northern Tasmania running until the end of 2031. The deal secures its electricity supply and about 550 direct jobs.
UBS Raises Its Long-Term Iron Ore Forecast to $93, Saying the Market Is Too Gloomy
UBS has raised its long-term iron ore price forecast to $93 a tonne from $85, about 12% above the market consensus. The bank argues investors are underestimating how tight supply gets once Guinea's giant Simandou mine is fully running.
Rio Tinto to Expand Metals Trading Beyond Its Own Mine Output
Rio Tinto plans to expand its metals trading business beyond its own mine output, adding derivatives and third-party copper cathode deals, Bloomberg reported. The move is part of CEO Simon Trott's push to extract more value from the miner's existing assets.
Iron Ore Climbs Back Above $100 a Tonne as China Restocks Ahead of Holiday
Iron ore futures rose 1.6% to $101.10 a tonne on September 7, 2026, the first close above $100 in seven weeks, as traders unwound coking-coal bets and Chinese mills restocked before the holiday break.
Rio Tinto Reports Its Strongest First-Half Profit in Four Years as Copper and Aluminium Step Up
Rio Tinto's first-half 2026 underlying earnings rose 43% to $6.9 billion, its strongest half in four years, as copper, aluminium and lithium grew to more than half of group earnings.
Chile and Argentina Approve a $20.7 Billion Copper Treaty — But It Won't Fix Today's Shortage, Analysts Say
Chile cleared a $20.7 billion copper treaty promising 540,000 tonnes a year, but permitting delays and a suspended Codelco mine mean today's shortage isn't going away soon.
Canada Aims to Cut Japan's 72% Reliance on Chinese Rare Earths
China still supplies about 72% of Japan's rare earth imports, even after a 2025 export halt. Canada, sitting on major reserves but zero production, is emerging as a potential partner.
Rio Tinto's Utah Copper Mine Builds a 30-Megawatt Solar Plant From Its Own Waste Tellurium
Rio Tinto's Kennecott copper mine in Utah extracts tellurium from anode slime, copper refining's leftover waste, then uses that tellurium in solar panels now powering 30 megawatts of the mine's own operations.
US Signs More Critical Minerals Deals in 18 Months Than Europe Did in a Decade, a Top EU Advisor Says
A top European advisor says the US struck more critical minerals deals in 18 months than the EU managed in a decade, as Washington's $12 billion stockpile outpaces Brussels's stalled permitting.
Analysts Cut 2026 Iron Ore Price Forecast to $99 a Tonne as China's Demand Stays Weak
BMI has cut its 2026 iron ore price forecast to $99 a tonne from $101, pointing to soft Chinese demand, near-record port inventories and new supply from Guinea's Simandou mine.
Labrador Iron Ore Royalty's Profit Falls 58% as Mine Truck Failures and Wildfires Cut Output
Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corporation's Q2 2026 net income fell 58% year-on-year to $11.2 million, after haul truck reliability problems and wildfire risk cut production at the Iron Ore Company of Canada mine underlying its royalty income.
LME Aluminium Stocks Sink to a 36-Year Low as Iran-Linked Gulf Supply Loss Nears 2 Million Tonnes
LME aluminium stocks have collapsed to a 36-year low of 250,000 tonnes as Gulf production losses near 2 million tonnes annualized, with 95% of remaining metal Russian-origin.
It Takes 50,000 Tons of Copper to Build One AI Data Center, So Miners Are Now Mining Their Own Waste
Building one hyperscale AI data center takes about 50,000 tons of copper. With new US mines averaging 23 years to reach production, miners including BHP and Rio Tinto are now testing recovery of copper from decades-old mining waste instead.
Battery Storage Overtakes EVs as Lithium's Fastest-Growing Demand Source
Lithium consumption grew 45% through May 2026, above Albemarle's own forecast, as battery storage and AI data-center backup power offset a 13% Chinese EV sales decline.
