FIRST INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMER SEMINAR FOR ALCAN GLOBAL PHARMACEUTICAL PACKAGING

March 27, 2008 

Alcan Packaging, a division of Rio Tinto Alcan, announced today that its Global Pharmaceutical sector has successfully completed its first International Alcan Packaging University (APU) seminar, which took place on March 5th and 6th in Uberlingen, Germany.

This event gathered participants representing both current and prospective customers from different countries around the world.  "Originally launched in 2006 on a European level, the highly favourable response received from customers led us to extend our pharmaceutical packaging seminar to an international audience", said Michael Rubenstein, president, Alcan Global Pharmaceutical Packaging.

The goal of this educational seminar is to create a better understanding of customers' expectations in terms of packaging innovation. This knowledge helps drive our efforts to provide continuously improved products and services. In developing new multimaterial packaging products, the Alcan Pharmaceutical innovation team works with universities, institutes and their own R&D centres in Europe and the US. 

"We believe that a company that is truly innovative behaves like a University," said Lionel Lob, president, Alcan Pharmaceutical Packaging - Europe. "It aims to provide a bridge between the theory and practice of packaging solutions both for today and tomorrow," he added.

About Alcan Packaging

Alcan Packaging is a world leader in value-added specialty packaging. It delivers innovative solutions using plastics, engineered film, aluminium, paper, paperboard and glass to customers around the world for the food, pharmaceutical, beauty and tobacco markets. Chaired by Ilene Gordon, president and CEO, Alcan Packaging is headquartered in Paris, France, with 128 facilities and 30,000 employees in 31 countries, it generated US$6.2 billion revenues in 2007.

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this announcement, including, without limitation, those regarding Rio Tinto's financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations (including development plans and objectives relating to Rio Tinto's products, production forecasts and reserve and resource positions), are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Rio Tinto, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding Rio Tinto's present and future business strategies and the environment in which Rio Tinto will operate in the future. Among the important factors that could cause Rio Tinto's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, levels of actual production during any period, levels of demand and market prices, the ability to produce and transport products profitably, the impact of foreign currency exchange rates on market prices and operating costs, operational problems, political uncertainty and economic conditions in relevant areas of the world, the actions of competitors, activities by governmental authorities such as changes in taxation or regulation and such other risk factors identified in Rio Tinto's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") or Form 6-Ks furnished to the SEC. Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be construed in light of such risk factors and undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Rio Tinto expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking (except as required by applicable law, the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Takeover Code"), the UK Listing Rules, the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the Financial Services Authority and the Listing Rules of the Australian Securities Exchange) to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in Rio Tinto's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Nothing in this announcement should be interpreted to mean that future earnings per share of Rio Tinto plc or Rio Tinto Limited will necessarily match or exceed its historical published earnings per share.

Subject to the requirements of the Takeover Code, none of Rio Tinto, any of its officers or any person named in this announcement with their consent or any person involved in the preparation of this announcement makes any representation or warranty (either express or implied) or gives any assurance that the implied values, anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in forward-looking statements contained in this announcement will be achieved.

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