Rio Tinto PLC

Regulatory Filings • May 30, 2017

SD 1 formsd.htm formsd2016v2.htm - Prepared by EDGARX.com

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM SD

Specialized Disclosure Report

| Commission
file number: 001-10533 | Commission
file number: 000-20122 |
| --- | --- |
| Rio Tinto plc | Rio Tinto Limited |
| | ABN 96 004 458 404 |
| (Translation
of registrant’s name into English) | (Translation
of registrant’s name into English) |
| 6 St James’s
Square | Level 33, 120
Collins Street |
| London, SW1Y 4AD, United Kingdom | Melbourne,
Victoria 3000, Australia |
| (Address of
principal executive offices) | (Address of
principal executive offices) |

Julie Parent, T: 514-848-8519

(Name and telephone number, including area code, of the person

to contact in connection with this report)

Check the appropriate box to indicate the rule pursuant to which this form is being filed, and provide the period to which the information in this form applies:

X Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13p-1) for the reporting period from January 1 to December 31, 2016.

Section 1 - Conflict Minerals Disclosure

Item 1.01 Conflict Minerals Disclosure

This Specialized Disclosure Form (“Form SD”) of Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited (hereafter “Rio Tinto” or “we”) is being filed in accordance with Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Act of 1934 (“Rule”) for the reporting period ending December 31, 2016.

Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, thermal and metallurgical coal, uranium, gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide and salt) and iron ore.

Rio Tinto undertook an assessment of all of its products and identified subsidiaries of Rio Tinto that are within the scope of the Rule: Kennecott Utah Copper LLC (“Kennecott”); Rio Tinto Fer et Titane inc. (“RTFT”) and Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (“RTIT”).

Based on a reasonable country of origin inquiry (“RCOI”), Rio Tinto does not believe that conflict minerals contained in its products originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or an adjoining country (“Covered Countries”).

Kennecott

Kennecott is based in the United States of America and produces gold bars. Kennecott’s gold production is certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council Chain of Custody Certification (C0000 0059) and the London Bullion Market Association. As part of Kennecott’s raw materials purchasing procedure, a component of the chain of custody management system requires that all purchased copper concentrate and gold slime materials have a certificate of origin. Kennecott has used this data to complete the RCOI and confirm that gold used in Kennecott’s gold bars did not originate in the Covered Countries. Kennecott is listed on the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition Global e-Sustainability Initiative (“EICC-GeSi”) Conflict Free Gold Refiners List (CID000969) as compliant with the relevant EICC-GeSI relevant Conflict-Free Smelter Program assessment protocol.

RTFT and RTIT

RTFT and RTIT manufacture iron and steel powders at their respective sites: Sorel-Tracy in Quebec, Canada for RTFT and Suzhou in China for RTIT. Both sites produce certain metal powders that include a bronze additive which contains tin. Both RTFT and RTIT source the bronze additive from a single supplier who has confirmed that the tin does not come from any of the Covered Countries.

In accordance with Rule, the Form SD is posted on Rio Tinto’s web site at http://www.riotinto.com/ourcommitment/reporting-21475.aspx .

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrants have duly caused this report to be signed on their behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorised.

Rio Tinto plc — (Registrant)		Rio Tinto Limited — (Registrant)
By /s/	Steve Allen	By
/s/	Steve Allen
Name	Steve
Allen	Name	Steve Allen
Title	Company Secretary	Title	Joint Company Secretary
Date 30 May
2017		Date 30 May 2017