Rio Tinto's copper, aluminium output declines amid price rout

Melbourne

Rio Tinto Group, the world's second-biggest mining company, reported lower output of minerals, including aluminium and copper, amid a commodity price slump that's forcing suppliers to cut spending and rein in expansions.

Output of 10 of Rio's 13 key materials fell in the three months to Dec 31 from a year earlier, the London-based company said on Wednesday in a statement. Iron ore production, the biggest contributor to Rio's earnings, rose to 79.1 million tonnes, missing the 82.2 million-tonne median estimate of three analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.