Rio Tinto has dispatched its eight-billionth tonne of iron ore from the Pilbara region of Australia, with the shipment heading to its partner Nippon Steel Corporation.
This milestone marks 60 years since the company’s initial shipment from Western Australia (WA) to Japan.
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The shipment departed from Cape Lambert port aboard the Juno Horizon on 19 May 2026.
Rio Tinto’s first iron ore cargo from the Pilbara left in August 1966 for Japan, beginning a commercial relationship that remains in place.
By way of scale, a total of eight billion tonnes of iron ore could supply enough steel to build more than 161,000 Optus Stadiums in Perth, 134,000 Tokyo Skytree towers, or more than 46,000 Beijing National Stadiums.
Rio Tinto’s Pilbara activities have contributed to the growth of six regional towns, namely Dampier, Karratha, Pannawonica, Paraburdoo, Tom Price and Wickham.
They also support five additional communities from the Kimberley region to the Great Southern region through fly-in fly-out arrangements.
The company is also progressing assessment work at Rhodes Ridge (in which it holds 50%), an undeveloped iron ore deposit regarded as one of the largest globally.
Over time, Rio Tinto indicates that the project could underpin a major mining centre capable of producing around 100 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of higher-grade ore.
The project also helps keep its Pilbara business on track for a medium-term output range of approximately 345–360mtpa.
Rio Tinto iron ore chief executive Matthew Holcz said: “Shipping eight billion tonnes of iron ore from the Pilbara is a significant milestone and a testament to the generations of people who have built and sustained our operations, infrastructure and communities over the past 60 years.
“We thank successive governments for their sustained support. We are also grateful to the Traditional Owners groups across the Pilbara for their ongoing partnership, and for the knowledge, guidance and stewardship they continue to share with us.
“Japan was Rio Tinto’s first customer for iron ore exports, and that partnership remains a cornerstone of our business today. As global steel demand increases, we will continue to invest in our Pilbara operations and local communities for decades to come.”
In March this year, Rio Tinto announced plans to begin operations at the Resolution Copper mine in Arizona, US, by the mid-2030s.
