(Bloomberg) -- Rio Tinto Group Chief Commercial Officer Bold Baatar has called on US President-elect Donald Trump to overhaul approvals processing for its Resolution copper mine in Arizona.
Permitting should be faster for the mine, which is a key part of Rio’s growth agenda into metals crucial for the energy transition, Baatar said at the Financial Times Commodity Summit in Singapore.
“Get on with permitting,” Baatar said when asked about what the incoming Trump administration could do to help progress the mine.
The site, being developed by Rio and joint venture partner BHP Group, has the potential to supply 25% of forecast US domestic copper demand for decades. However, approvals have long been hampered by local community opposition and litigation from indigenous titleholders.
He said it had been 12 years since Rio and BHP began work to permit and develop Resolution.
“Permitting in the US is the second-longest in the world,” Baatar added. “The US needs to provide its own security of supply for this industrial base.”
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