28 February 2019

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your request for information andperspective from Rio Tinto in regard to an online report in The Guardian on February 12, 2020. This report covers the ouvea premix fertilizer material which is currently stored in warehouses in the Gore District of the Southland of New Zealand. This material was placed in warehouses by its owners Taha Asia Pacific who subsequently went into receivership in 2016. Since 2016, the responsibility for the material is with the New Zealand government and the Gore District Council.

On Monday, 17 February, 2020, Rio Tinto’s NZAS aluminium smelter confirmed its intention to honour its voluntary commitment to fund and work with local and national government to safely remove and process the premix material. A copy of that statement is attached for reference by the Business & Human Rights Centre. Please include the statement in any report you publish with regard to The Guardian article. Please also note that The Guardian has not updated their online report despite being provided with this statement.

(The statement is linked below.)