Rio Tinto marked a significant milestone today with the shipment of 4 billion tons of iron ore from the Pilbara in Western Australia to China. The shipment, loaded at Dampier Port, is bound for China Baowu Steel Group, the world's largest steel producer.

This achievement comes 51 years after the first shipment of nearly 22,000 tons of Pilbara iron ore was sent to Shanghai No.1 Steel Mill, now part of China Baowu. Over the decades, China has become Rio Tinto's largest customer, with approximately 250 million tons of iron ore shipped annually.

Rio Tinto's newest joint venture with China Baowu, the Western Range mine, is set to commence production in 2025 with an annual capacity of 25 million tons.