Australia-based Rio Tinto, the world's second biggest iron ore producer, has announced that in the second quarter of the current year its global iron ore production increased by nine percent year on year to 79.7 million mt. In the given quarter, the company's global iron ore shipments amounted to 81.4 million mt, up eight percent year on year.
On the other hand, during the first six months of the year, the miner’s global iron ore production amounted to 154.3 million mt, rising by 11 percent, while its global iron ore shipments increased by eight percent to 153.9 million mt, both year on year.
Rio Tinto's Australian hard coking coal production in the first half increased by 13 percent year on year to 4.1 million mt.
In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, around seven million mt of shipping capacity was lost directly at the ports due to uncharacteristically severe weather. Therefore for 2015 Rio Tinto now expects global iron ore shipments of 340 million mt from its operations in Australia and Canada.