Rio Tinto posts flat Q3 copper output, holds 2026 guidance

Published: Oct 14, 2026 14:19 (GMT+8)

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Rio Tinto reported consolidated copper production of 205,000 tonnes in the September quarter, flat year-on-year and down 4% from the June quarter, taking nine-month output to 646,000 tonnes, up 1% versus 2025. Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia drove the growth, with copper output up 27% year-on-year in Q3 and 29% year-to-date, running at an annualised rate of about 450,000 tonnes during the quarter. At Kennecott in the United States, the rebuilt flash converting furnace returned to normal capacity in late August, ahead of schedule, after an outage that weighed on quarterly cathode output. The group kept its 2026 copper production guidance of 800,000-870,000 tonnes unchanged and reaffirmed unit-cost guidance. Sustained Oyu Tolgoi growth partly offsets volume volatility at Kennecott and its Escondida interest as the group defends its full-year copper target.

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