Rio Tinto cuts Kitimat aluminum production by 65%

Top miners BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Vale and Anglo American are among the firms at risk of rating downgrade.

The state of New Mexico also plans to sue the owners of two Colorado mines that were the source of the massive spill.

Company is said to have sent out requests to investment banks as it seeks to hire an adviser to assist in the bidding process for Anglo American's niobium and phosphate business in Brazil.

The country, the biggest supplier of bauxite to China, said the ban takes takes effect from Jan. 15.

Malaysia is pushing to suspend bauxite mining due to concerns about its impact on the environment, a cabinet source said on Saturday, threatening to interrupt supplies of the aluminium-making material to China.

The country's largest mining union said it had received notice from South32 about the planned cuts and wants the government to intervene.

The Amrun mine is expected to open in 2019 and initially produce 22.8 million metric tons of bauxite a yera.

Year to date gold is one of the better performers, but rhodium comes off worst.

The situation, says the ratings agency, won’t change over the next 12 to 18 months, and metal prices may fall even further.