Bloomberg Jan 13---Rio Tinto Group, the world’s third- largest mining company, declared force majeure for aluminum supplies from its Alcan unit’s Boyne Smelters Ltd. due to severe flooding in Australia’s Queensland state.
“The floods have cut road and rail access between Gladstone and Brisbane and the Brisbane port is closed, preventing deliveries to some domestic and international customers,” Rio said in a statement to the Australian stock exchange today.
An area bigger than Texas and California making up more than 75 percent of Queensland state has been declared a disaster zone after Australia’s worst floods in 50 years.
London-based Rio is investigating alternative transport options, including shipments out of Gladstone port, it said. The company is unable to provide an estimate on the full impact of the disruption or the duration of the declaration, it said.
Force majeure is a legal clause that allows a company to miss deliveries because of circumstances beyond its control.
Rio’s coal unit on Dec. 29 declared force majeure on sales contracts from mines in Queensland because of the flooding.
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