Rio Tinto has announced an 8% year-on-year (YoY) increase in copper equivalent production for 2025, with shipments rising by 5%.
This growth was largely driven by the successful ramp-up of the Oyu Tolgoi project.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
In the fourth quarter of 2025 (Q4 2025), Pilbara iron ore operations reported a record 4% production increase and 7% rise in shipments YoY.
The Simandou project also saw rapid progress, with operations commencing and the first shipment dispatched in Q4.
Rio Tinto’s aluminium sector reported strong, agile production throughout 2025, while its lithium segment achieved record quarterly production in Argentina.
Copper production for the year grew by 11% YoY, surpassing the upper limit of the company’s increased guidance range.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataIn 2025, Rio Tinto reported pre-tax and pre-divestment expenditure on exploration and evaluation amounting to A$795m, a decrease from A$935m in 2024.
This expenditure was distributed, with copper accounting for approximately 40%, central exploration 32%, iron ore including the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) 19%, other operations 8%, and aluminium and lithium 1%.
In Q4 2025, Pilbara iron ore shipments rose by 7% to 91.3 million tonnes (mt) compared to Q4 2024, but total yearly shipments decreased by 1% to 326.2mt.
Annual production remained steady at 327.3mt, while IOC pellet and concentrate production fell 14% in Q4, totalling 9.3mt for the year.
In Q4, bauxite production stood at 15.4mt, contributing to a 6% annual increase to 62.4mt.
Alumina production dropped 1% in Q4 to 2mt but rose 4% annually to 7.6mt.
Aluminium output grew 2% in Q4 to 850,000t and increased 3% for the year, totalling 3.38mt.
Copper production reached 240,000t in Q4, up 5%, with an annual total of 883,000t, an 11% rise from the previous year.
Rio Tinto chief executive Simon Trott said: “We achieved record quarterly iron ore production in the Pilbara, with a strong recovery from the extreme weather interruptions earlier in the year.
“At Simandou, we celebrated the major milestone of first shipment from the port; a testament to our ability to deliver major growth projects.”
