[ferro-alloys.com]Rio Tinto is planning to consolidate its sales and marketing teams from London and other European locations into Frankfurt starting this autumn, as the miner moves staff away from its global headquarters in the UK capital.

The London Stock Exchange-listed company underscored marketing and commercial synergies for the consolidation, rather than comment on how the UK's Brexit process may have influenced the decision.

It followed a consultation with employees, which was reported in February. In Europe, Rio Tinto has sales and marketing operations in Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, the UK and Germany.

Commercial department staff in London will start to move to Frankfurt after the summer with more following next year, according to sources close to the situation.

"Rio Tinto is proposing to consolidate its sales and marketing operations in Europe into one existing Rio Tinto location in Frankfurt," a company spokesman said.

"Consolidating Commercial's sales and marketing presence in Europe into one location will ensure closer proximity to key customers, simplify Commercial's footprint and leverage the benefits of co-location."

The decision to move staff away from London followed a move to a single site in St James's Square, in central London.

Many international banks have decided to move more staff into European cities such as Amsterdam, Dublin and Frankfurt with the UK scheduled to exit the EU on March 29, 2019.

Other than Frankfurt, the other regional hubs for the company will be Singapore -- where Rio Tinto has a large sales and marketing operation -- and Chicago, sources said.

"It is about bringing our sales and marketing operations in Europe, which are currently spread across a number of locations in a number of European countries together, closer to our key customers," the spokesman said.

"It simplifies our footprint. It is part of our global plans to bring people doing similar activities together which provides many benefits from working more closely together."

The Anglo-Australian group's global headquarters will remain in London and Chairman Simon Thompson and CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques will be based there, along with the CFO, and group investor and public relations.

Rio Tinto has iron ore, aluminum and base metals mining and refining operations mainly in Australia, Canada, Mongolia and South Africa.

The company has been looking to invest and develop minerals such as lithium, to power new energy and metals applications and reduce emphasis on bulk minerals as Asian emerging economies mature.

Rio Tinto exited thermal and coking coal mining and sales after concluding a series of divestments over the past few years.

In Europe, the company has agreed to sell its aluminum assets, to focus on production of the alloy in Canada.

Rio Tinto's office in Frankfurt is focused on sales of titanium, zircon, high purity iron, steel and metal powders, and is based in Eschborn.

• [Editor:王可]