EU steel makers call for antitrust probe into BHP Billiton-Rio Tinto joint iron mining project

August 10th, 2009 Rio Tinto prices plunge on China spy claimsSYDNEY —Rio Tinto Ltd.'s share price plunged more than 3 percent Monday after China accused the Anglo-Australian miner of conducting a six-year spying campaign that it claimed cost Chinese steelmakers billions of dollars in inflated prices for iron ore. Rio Tinto declined to respond to the latest allegations but said in July that bribery allegations against four Rio Tinto employees detained in China were baseless.

August 4th, 2009 Ex-Ford CEO Nasser named chairman of BHP BillitonDENVER — Former Ford Motor Co. CEO Jac Nasser has been named chairman of Australian mining giant BHP Billiton Ltd., replacing Don Argus who is retiring after nearly 11 years.

July 29th, 2009 BHP Billiton cuts ore prices for some customersSYDNEY — BHP Billiton Ltd., the world's biggest mining company, said Wednesday it has agreed to sell 23 percent of its contracted iron ore at a one-third discount to last year's prices. The Melbourne-based company said in a statement that another 30 percent of its iron ore will be sold based on a mix of quarterly negotiated pricing, spot market and index-based pricing.

July 12th, 2009 Australia: Rio detention could hurt China businessBEIJING — Australian officials said Sunday that China has not given them any evidence to support its detention of an Australian mining executive on spying charges and warned that the affair could discourage foreign companies from doing business there. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told reporters in western Australia that officials will seek information Monday on the detention of Rio Tinto employee Stern Hu.

July 10th, 2009 SYDNEY - Australian diplomats Friday met the Rio Tinto executive held by Chinese authorities since Sunday over spying allegations. Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith would not comment on reports in the Chinese media that Australian citizen Stern Hu stood accused of trying to bribe employees of Chinese steel companies to gather confidential information during iron ore price negotiations.

July 9th, 2009 SHANGHAI - Four employees of the international mining group Rio Tinto Ltd. have been detained on charges of stealing China's state secrets, authorities said Thursday.

July 8th, 2009 4 Rio Tinto workers detained in ChinaBEIJING — Four employees of Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto Ltd., including an Australian man, have been detained in Shanghai for undisclosed reasons, the company and government officials said Wednesday. Rio Tinto has been unable to contact the employees, said Ian Head, a company spokesman in Sydney.

July 1st, 2009 China iron ore pricing talks miss deadlineSHANGHAI — Pricing talks between Chinese steelmakers and global iron ore suppliers dragged on Wednesday after they failed to reach agreement by a June 30 deadline, reports and industry officials said. China's steel industry group has rejected iron ore price agreements negotiated between Australian mining giant Rio Tinto and Japanese and South Korean mills.

June 15th, 2009 China says Australia ties OK despite Rio-BHP dealBEIJING — Miner Rio Tinto Group PLC's decision to opt for a tie-up with rival BHP Billiton Ltd. instead of a $19.5 billion deal with Aluminum Corp.

June 9th, 2009 Chinese steel group opposes Rio-BHP ventureBEIJING — China's steel industry group said Tuesday it opposes a proposed venture between leading iron ore producers BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto as a monopolistic move. "This kind of joint venture agreement has a strong monopolistic color, and the China Iron and Steel Association opposes the establishment of such an agreement," the group said in a statement.

June 5th, 2009 Rio Tinto scraps deal with Chinese firm ChinalcoSYDNEY — Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto PLC on Friday ended its $19.5 billion deal with Chinese company Chinalco, instead saying it plans to raise $15.2 billion in a share sale. Rio Tinto Chairman Jan du Plessis said in a letter to shareholders the planned deal with Chinalco was now dead and his company would pay it a $195 million break fee.

June 5th, 2009 Miner Rio Tinto scraps Chinalco dealSYDNEY — Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto PLC on Friday scrapped its $19.5 billion deal with China's Chinalco, choosing instead to raise $15.2 billion in a share sale and setting up a joint production venture with rival BHP Billiton Ltd. Rio Tinto Chairman Jan du Plessis said in a letter to shareholders the planned deal with Chinalco was now dead and his company would pay it a $195 million break fee, thus ending what would have been China's biggest overseas investment to date.

April 22nd, 2009 Mining giant BHP Billiton reports lower productionSYDNEY — Global mining giant BHP Billiton on Wednesday reported a sharp drop in quarterly copper production, along with declines in iron ore and aluminum, as demand for minerals falls amid the global economic slump. Copper production was down 14 percent in the three months ended March 31 compared to the same period last year, the Melbourne-based company said in a statement.

February 24th, 2009 PANAJI - Goa's Rs.60-billion (Rs.6,000-crore) low-grade iron ore exports are expected to fall 50 percent this fiscal, an industry leader said here Monday. While exports this year have shown a marginal drop in terms of volumes, the actual revenue earned has shrunk considerably, Shivanand Salgaocar, president of the Mineral Ore Foundation (MOF), told reporters.

December 30th, 2008 BHOPAL - Rio Tinto India will soon set up a project for production of diamonds in Madhya Pradesh, the state government has said. 'The company has detected a diamond deposit in Chhatarpur district and will soon set up a diamond project for commercial production of diamonds,' Minister of State for Mineral Resources Rajendra Shukla told IANS.