Rio Tinto, operator of the giant Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine in Mongolia, said its copper concentrate shipments to China had slowed due to efforts by the authorities to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
"We have advised customers that we are engaging with authorities who are working on re-establishing regular and safe border crossings," a spokesman for the miner said in an email on Wednesday.
The virus outbreak that began in China and prompted a lockdown that has weighed on the Chinese economy has sparked concerns about metals demand in the world’s top copper consumer.