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Borrowings and other financial liabilities - Additional information (Detail) - USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016
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Disclosure of detailed information about borrowings [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | $ 267,000,000 | $ 532,000,000
Interest rate swaps [member] |  |
Disclosure of detailed information about borrowings [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial liabilities | 276,000,000 | 516,000,000
Rio Tinto Finance (USA) Limited Bonds 7.125% 2028 [member] |  |
Disclosure of detailed information about borrowings [Line Items] |  |
Borrowings at amortised cost | 75,000,000 | 75,000,000
Interest rate swaps [member] |  |
Disclosure of detailed information about borrowings [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 99,000,000 | 108,000,000
Cross currency interest rate swaps [member] | Rio Tinto Finance plc Sterling Bonds 4.0% due 2029 [member] |  |
Disclosure of detailed information about borrowings [Line Items] |  |
Borrowings notional amount | 700,000,000 | 600,000,000
US Dollars [Member] | Interest rate swaps [member] |  |
Disclosure of detailed information about borrowings [Line Items] |  |
Borrowings notional amount | 5,700,000,000 | 7,700,000,000
Euro Member Countries, Euro | Interest rate swaps [member] |  |
Disclosure of detailed information about borrowings [Line Items] |  |
Borrowings notional amount | $ 1,500,000,000 | $ 1,300,000,000

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- Definition The amount of financial liabilities classified as derivative instruments. [Refer: Financial assets; Derivatives [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2016-01-13 -Paragraph 55 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2016-03-30&anchor=para_55&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2016-03-31 + Details
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- Definition The amount of financial liabilities at amortised cost. The amortised cost is the amount at which financial liabilities are measured at initial recognition minus principal repayments, plus or minus the cumulative amortisation using the effective interest method of any difference between that initial amount and the maturity amount. [Refer: Financial liabilities] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Note Expiry date 2018-01-01 -Name IFRS -Number 7 -IssueDate 2016-01-13 -Paragraph 8 -Subparagraph f -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=7&date=2016-03-30&anchor=para_8_f&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2016-03-31 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Note Effective 2018-01-01 -Name IFRS -Number 7 -IssueDate 2016-01-13 -Paragraph 8 -Subparagraph g -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=7&date=2016-03-30&anchor=para_8_g&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2016-03-31 + Details
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