China border checks cut Oyu Tolgoi copper exports 70 percent

Copper concentrate exports from Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia have fallen about 70 percent over the past two weeks as Chinese border restrictions cut daily truck convoys to about four from 12 to 13, the Associated Press reported.

Why it matters: Oyu Tolgoi supplied about 56 percent of Rio Tinto's consolidated copper output in the third quarter, so a border bottleneck that Mongolian officials say could run to the end of December threatens sales from the group's main copper growth engine.

Data as of Associated Press reporting of October 29, 2026, as published by The Northern Miner and read in full in this run. Single sourced: the export drop, convoy counts and the Mongolian officials' explanation are AP's, via the mine operator Oyu Tolgoi LLC and Mongolian border authorities; Rio Tinto has not commented in the reporting read. Developing item.

Copper concentrate exports from Oyu Tolgoi, the Mongolian mine Rio Tinto operates and owns 66 percent of, have dropped about 70 percent over the past two weeks because of Chinese border restrictions, the Associated Press reported on Thursday. Daily truck convoys at the Gashuunsukhait to Ganqimaodu crossing have fallen to about four from 12 to 13, the mine operator Oyu Tolgoi LLC told AP.

Mongolian border officials attributed the slowdown to infrastructure and technology upgrades on the Chinese side, including installation and maintenance of an in-vehicle facial recognition system for truck drivers, work that began in August and could continue until the end of December, AP said. The mine produced 113,500 tonnes of copper in concentrate in the third quarter, about 56 percent of Rio’s consolidated copper output, and Rio’s group copper forecast of 800,000 to 870,000 tonnes for this year predates the slowdown.

China border checks cut Oyu Tolgoi copper exports 70 percent

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