China border checks cut Oyu Tolgoi exports by 70%

AI desk brief

Chinese border restrictions have cut copper concentrate exports from Rio Tinto’s Oyu Tolgoi mine by about 70% over the past two weeks, reducing daily truck convoys to roughly four from 12-13 and threatening sales recognition at the Mongolia–China border. The mine produced 113,500 tonnes of copper in concentrate in Q3, up 27% y/y, and 374,000 oz of gold in concentrate over the first nine months of 2026, so the bottleneck matters for both copper and byproduct precious-metals output.

The disruption is tied to infrastructure and technology work at the crossing, including facial-recognition system upgrades that could run through end-December. Rio’s broader 2026 copper guidance remains unchanged for now, but any extended delay would push back cash realization from one of its key growth assets.