AKIPRESS.COM - Australian miner Rio Tinto is experiencing a slowdown in sending deliveries of copper concentrate from its Mongolian mine to Chinese customers across the border as efforts to contain the outbreak of coronavirus cause logjams across the resources industry, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Rio Tinto, which sends copper into China from its Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mine in Mongolia's south has warned its customers of delays due to restrictions imposed by authorities in the hope of arresting the fast-moving virus which has claimed at least 1113 lives.

"Rio Tinto confirms there has been a slowdown in copper concentrate imports crossing the Mongolia-China border related to coronavirus containment efforts by local authorities," a spokesman said.

"We have advised customers that we are engaging with authorities who are working on re-establishing regular and safe border crossings."

It comes as the death toll from the epidemic continues to rise in China, with 97 new deaths and 2015 new cases emerging in the past 24 hours.