Ex-Rio Tinto veteran set to chair Cobre board
Former Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) executive Phil Mitchell will join Cobre...
19 October 2026
About Rio Tinto
| Company name: | Rio Tinto |
| Ticker: | ASX:RIO (also LSE:RIO and NYSE:RIO) |
| Sector: | Iron ore, aluminium, copper, and minerals |
| Key projects: | Pilbara iron ore, Oyu Tolgoi, Simandou |
| Headquarters: | London, UK, and Melbourne, Australia |
Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) is one of the world’s largest mining and metals groups and a cornerstone of the Australian resources sector. The company traces its name to the Río Tinto mines in Spain’s Huelva province, where the Rio Tinto Company was formed in 1873 and has since grown into a multinational mining group with operations across Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, and several overseas jurisdictions.
Rio Tinto is headquartered in London and has a corporate office in Melbourne, and trades on the Australian Securities Exchange, the London Stock Exchange (LSE:RIO), and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:RIO) through a sponsored American Depositary Receipt (ADR) facility.
For investors and industry watchers seeking Rio Tinto news, iron ore output, or updates on the company’s Australian project pipeline, this page brings together Mining.com.au’s ongoing coverage of the group, from Pilbara production updates to smelter investment decisions.
History and corporate structure
Rio Tinto’s modern structure dates to a 1995 dual-listed company (DLC) merger between Rio Tinto plc (London) and Rio Tinto Limited (Melbourne), which continue to operate as a single economic entity under one board and management team despite maintaining separate listings. Rio Tinto plc is a constituent of the UK’s FTSE 100 index, while Rio Tinto Limited is included in Australia’s S&P/ASX 200. The company’s portfolio spans iron ore, aluminium, copper, and other minerals, including borates, titanium dioxide, and lithium. Rio employs roughly 60,000 people worldwide and reports its production and financial results twice a year, alongside quarterly operational updates.
Commodities
Rio Tinto’s Australian and global business is built on a small number of core commodities. Its largest earnings come from iron ore, mined almost entirely in the Pilbara, followed by bauxite and aluminium from its Queensland, New South Wales, and Tasmanian operations. Copper is the group’s main growth commodity, led by its Oyu Tolgoi and Kennecott mines. For broader coverage of these commodities across the Australian mining sector, see Mining.com.au‘s dedicated commodity pages.
Australian operations
Iron ore remains Rio Tinto’s largest earner, produced almost entirely from its Pilbara operations in WA. The Pilbara network comprises 16 mines linked by a 1,700km rail system to port terminals at Dampier and Cape Lambert. In 2026, Rio shipped its 8 billionth tonne of iron ore from the Pilbara, a milestone the company attributes to more than five decades of continuous production in the region.
Beyond iron ore, Rio mines bauxite at Weipa in Queensland, one of the largest bauxite operations in the world, and refines and smelts aluminium at sites including Boyne Island (Qld), Tomago (NSW), and Bell Bay (Tas). Rising east coast energy costs have put several of these smelters under pressure in recent years, prompting government-backed support measures for Tomago and renewed scrutiny of the power supply underpinning Bell Bay’s future.
Global operations
Outside Australia, Rio Tinto’s growth strategy centres on copper and iron ore diversification. The Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia, developed with an underground expansion, is positioned as one of the company’s key future copper sources as global electrification and battery demand lift long-term copper consumption. In Guinea, the Simandou Iron Ore Project — a joint venture Rio describes as one of the largest new iron ore developments in decades — began production in 2025 and is expected to diversify the group’s iron ore supply away from sole reliance on the Pilbara. Rio also operates the Kennecott copper mine in Utah, US.
Leadership
Simon Trott became Rio Tinto’s chief executive on 25 August 2025, succeeding Jakob Stausholm. Trott previously led the company’s iron ore division and was Rio’s first chief commercial officer, giving him direct experience across the group’s largest earnings segment. Dominic Barton chairs the Rio Tinto board, a role he took on from Simon Thompson.
Financial snapshot
Rio Tinto reported revenue of US$57.6 billion ($80.7 billion) for 2025, with net income of US$10.2 billion ($14.3 billion), a year the company highlighted for record copper and bauxite production. Half-year 2026 results showed profit rising on strong commodity prices, with Trott pointing to cost discipline as the main lever for further performance gains.
As an ASX 200 constituent, Rio’s share price and dividend policy are closely watched by Australian investors, though, as with any listed stock, past performance and production milestones don’t guarantee future returns. Readers should treat company updates as general information rather than financial advice and consider their own circumstances or seek independent advice before making investment decisions.
Safety, sustainability, and governance
Rio Tinto’s governance and heritage practices came under intense scrutiny after the 2020 destruction of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters in WA’s Pilbara, an event that led to board and executive departures and a company-wide overhaul of heritage protection protocols. Since then, Rio has publicly committed to strengthened Traditional Owner engagement, decarbonisation targets across its aluminium and iron ore operations, and more transparent safety reporting, all of which continue to feature in its annual disclosures.
Rio Tinto news and analysis on Mining.com.au
Mining.com.au tracks Rio Tinto’s ASX announcements, project developments, and Australian operational news as they happen, including Pilbara iron ore shipments, aluminium smelter investment decisions, joint venture updates, and executive changes.
The articles tagged to this page are updated as new Rio Tinto stories are published, giving investors, suppliers, and industry professionals a single, current reference point for the company’s activity in Australia and abroad.
FAQs
1. What does Rio Tinto do?
Rio Tinto is a multi-listed mining and metals group that explores for, mines, and processes iron ore, aluminium, copper, and other minerals, with its largest operations in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.2. What commodities does Rio Tinto mine?
Rio Tinto’s main commodities are iron ore, bauxite and aluminium, and copper, alongside smaller volumes of borates, titanium dioxide, and lithium.3. Where are Rio Tinto’s main projects located?
The company’s largest operations are in Western Australia (Pilbara iron ore), Queensland (Weipa bauxite), New South Wales (aluminium smelting), and Tasmania (also aluminium smelting), with major international projects in Mongolia (Oyu Tolgoi copper), Guinea (Simandou iron ore), and the US (Kennecott copper).4. Who is Rio Tinto’s chief executive?
Simon Trott has been Rio Tinto’s chief executive since 25 August 2025, succeeding Jakob Stausholm.Image Credit: riotinto.com
