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Investments in equity accounted units (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Disclosure Of Investments Accounted For Using Equity Method Explanatory [Abstract] |
Summary of investments in equity accounted units |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Summary balance sheet (Rio Tinto share) | US$m |  | US$m |
Rio Tinto's share of assets |  |  |  |  |  |
– Non-current assets |  | 5,913 |  |  | 6,686 |
– Current assets |  | 990 |  |  | 832 |
|  | 6,903 |  |  | 7,518 |
Rio Tinto's share of liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |
– Current liabilities |  | (654 | ) |  | (612 | )
– Non-current liabilities |  | (1,763 | ) |  | (1,887 | )
|  | (2,417 | ) |  | (2,499 | )
Rio Tinto's share of net assets |  | 4,486 |  |  | 5,019 |

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