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Copper concentrate exports from Rio Tinto’s (NYSE, LSE, ASX: RIO) Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia have dropped about 70% over the past two weeks because of Chinese border restrictions, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
Daily truck convoys have fallen to about four from 12 to 13, mine operator Oyu Tolgoi LLC told AP. The restrictions affect the crossing between Mongolia’s Gashuunsukhait port and China’s Ganqimaodu port.
The bottleneck threatens to delay sales from a mine that produced 113,500 tonnes of copper in concentrate in the third quarter, up 27% from a year earlier. Oyu Tolgoi accounted for about 56% of Rio’s consolidated copper output during the period, according to the company’s production figures.
The disruption comes as Rio expands underground mining at Oyu Tolgoi, one of its main sources of copper growth. Rio is targeting average annual production of about 500,000 tonnes from the operation’s open pit and underground mine from 2028 through 2036.
Border delays
Mongolian border officials attributed the slowdown to infrastructure and technology upgrades in China, including installation and maintenance of an in-vehicle facial-recognition system for truck drivers, AP reported. The work began in August and could continue until the end of December, the news agency said, citing Mongolian authorities.
The crossing is also where Oyu Tolgoi’s reported sales are measured: Rio records payable metal in concentrate collected by customers at the Mongolia–China border.
Timeline: The Oyu Tolgoi saga
The operation produced concentrate containing 312,000 tonnes of copper in the first nine months of 2026, compared with sales of 310,600 tonnes of payable copper. Those figures predate the reported slowdown.
The mine also produced 374,000 oz. of gold in concentrate over the nine months, making the route important for both metals.
Growth engine
Oyu Tolgoi’s copper production rose 29% in the first nine months from a year earlier as underground output increased. The operation was running at an annualized rate of about 450,000 tonnes during the third quarter, Rio said in its Oct. 14 update.
In that update, Rio maintained its group copper production forecast of 800,000 to 870,000 tonnes for this year. The forecast predates the reported border slowdown.
Rio owns 66% of Oyu Tolgoi and manages the operation, while Mongolia’s government holds the remaining 34%. Underground production began in March 2023, supplementing the existing open pit.