Transaction in Own Shares

Rio Tinto PLC
19 March 2008

Rio Tinto plc
Transaction in Own Shares
19 March 2008


Rio Tinto plc announces today that it has transferred to participants in its
employee share schemes the following number of its ordinary shares of 10p each,
which were previously held as treasury shares.

Ordinary Shares

Date of transfer:                               19 March 2008

Number of ordinary shares transferred:          4,459

Highest transfer price per share:               1826.2p

Lowest transfer price per share:                1826.2p

Following the above purchase, Rio Tinto plc holds 74,086,979 ordinary shares as
treasury shares.  The total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding shares
held as treasury shares) is 997,782,926.

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations
Nigel Jones
Office: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]

Secretarial Department
Matthew Whyte
Office: [phone]

Website: www.riotinto.com


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