Australia-based miner Rio Tinto, the world's second biggest iron ore producer, has announced that in the first quarter of the current year iron ore production from its Pilbara operations in Western Australia decreased by nine percent year on year to 76 million mt. In the given quarter, the company's iron ore shipments from its Pilbara operations amounted to 69.1 million mt, falling by 14 percent from the same quarter of the previous year, due to the lower production and damage to the port facilities caused by Cyclone Veronica.
Rio Tinto has also revised its Pilbara iron ore shipments for the current year to the range of 333-343 million mt, from the previous guidance of 338-350 million mt. The reduction reflects a slower ramp up and ongoing disruption to shipments caused by weather and other disruptions.
