Who we are

Economic contribution

Our gross sales revenue in 2007 was US$33,518 million, a 32 per cent increase on the previous year. This includes sales revenue of US$3,798 million from the former Alcan operations during the 69 day post-acquisition period. The rise was primarily attributable to record production volumes across most of our products and to strong prices, driven by surging demand. Underlying earnings were US$7,443 million compared to US$7,338 million in 2006.

The Group's continuing financial success is based on its ability to secure access to people, capital and land. We use our expertise to harness these resources, creating prosperity for our shareholders, employees, communities, governments and business partners.

Rio Tinto has significant economic impact on the communities in which it operates, at the local, state and national levels. We take considerable care to delineate this economic impact, allowing us to demonstrate the value of our ventures to existing and potential partners and stakeholders.