Expanding Copper Production by Rio Tinto Amidst Anticipated New Tariffs from Trump
Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia is making significant strides towards becoming one of the world's largest copper producers. The mine, currently in the process of ramping up production, achieved a record high production of 87,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate in the second quarter of 2025, marking a 65% increase year over year[1]. This strong performance has contributed to Rio Tinto's total copper output rising 15% on a yearly basis for April-June 2025[1].
The company aims to sustain and stabilize this production level, with plans to reach an average copper output of around 500,000 tonnes per year from 2028 to 2036[1][3]. If successful, this target production would solidify Oyu Tolgoi's position among the world's largest copper producers. Rio Tinto's CEO, Jakob Stausholm, has expressed confidence in the mine’s operational performance and its trajectory to become the world’s fourth largest copper mine before 2030[2].
Meanwhile, Rio Tinto also expects 'good performance' at its Escondida mine in Chile, the world's largest copper mine[2]. However, analyst Adam Vettese from eToro has highlighted the need for improvement in execution, particularly in iron ore shipments, for the second half of the year[2].
In the first half of 2022, Rio Tinto shipped 79.9 million metric tonnes of iron ore from its Pilbara operations, an increase from 70.7 Mt in Q1[4]. Despite this growth, the company's Q2 iron ore production fell short of guidance[5]. Investors are looking for continued improvement in execution to unlock full value from production performance.
Rio Tinto's shares were at 4,398.5p by midmorning, down 13.4% over the last 12 months[6]. For those interested in investing in Rio Tinto, platforms such as AJ Bell, Hargreaves Lansdown, interactive investor, InvestEngine, and Trading 212 are some of the DIY investing platforms available[6].
References: [1] Rio Tinto (2025). Rio Tinto Q2 2025 Results. Retrieved from https://www.riotinto.com/en/invest-with-us/financial-reports-and-presentations/quarterly-results [2] Financial Times (2025). Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi on track to become fourth largest copper mine. Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/e7c26918-7c21-456a-b8d4-96c1f5659c2f [3] Reuters (2025). Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi mine to become fourth largest copper mine by 2030. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/mining-and-metals/riotinto-oyu-tolgoi-mine-become-fourth-largest-copper-mine-2025-07-19/ [4] Rio Tinto (2022). Rio Tinto Q2 2022 Results. Retrieved from https://www.riotinto.com/en/invest-with-us/financial-reports-and-presentations/quarterly-results [5] Mining.com (2022). Rio Tinto's Q2 iron ore production falls short of guidance. Retrieved from https://www.mining.com/riotintos-q2-iron-ore-production-falls-short-of-guidance/ [6] This Is Money (2022). Best and worst stocks for July 2022. Retrieved from https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-10957435/Best-worst-stocks-July-2022.html
- In the realm of personal-finance and business investment, the rising production of Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia, which is projected to become one of the world's largest copper producers, presents an intriguing prospect for investors interested in the finance industry.
- As Rio Tinto's target production of around 500,000 tonnes of copper per year from 2028 to 2036 would solidify Oyu Tolgoi's position among the world's largest copper producers, strategic investors may view this as an opportunity to invest in the copper market within the industry.
- Meanwhile, the latest reports on the iron ore production at Rio Tinto's Pilbara operations suggest the need for improvement in execution, highlighting the importance of careful analysis in the business and personal-finance sector when considering investing in this mining and finance giant.
