Transaction in Own Shares

Anglo American PLC
18 December 2006



                       Anglo American plc (the "Company")
                  Purchases of Ordinary Shares in the Company

Following the increase in the buyback programme of US$4 billion referred to in
the interim results announcement of Friday 4 August 2006, the Company announces
that, pursuant to the authority granted by shareholders at the Annual General
Meeting held on 25 April 2006, Anglo American plc purchased 142,600 of its
ordinary shares on 15 December 2006 at prices between £25.02 and £25.28 per
share. The purchased shares will all be held as treasury shares.

Anglo American plc currently holds 45,621,369 ordinary shares in treasury, and
has 1,496,032,238 ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) and the
independent companies referred to in the announcement of 23 March 2006 together
hold 43,998,703 ordinary shares, representing 2.94 per cent of Anglo American
plc's ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares).

Catherine Marshall
Company Secretarial Assistant
Anglo American plc
18 December 2006





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