Dec 2 (Reuters) - Canadian copper miner Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd TRQ.TO said on Friday it had suspended shipments from its Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia across the Chinese border, a day after the imposition of new fees on commodity shipments between the two countries.
The fee was imposed following a diplomatic row sparked by last week's visit of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to Ulaanbaatar. Dalai Lama is cherished as a spiritual leader in predominantly Buddhist Mongolia, but China regards him as a dangerous separatist and warned the visit could damage bilateral relations.
Turquoise Hill said on Friday that a new requirement at the Chinese-Mongolian border to use one joint coal-and-concentrate crossing route had led to safety and security concerns as well as long waiting times. company said it was not clear for how long it would suspend shipments and that it was seeking to clarify the situation with authorities in Mongolia and China.
Rio Tinto Plc RIO.L operates the copper-gold Oyu Tolgoi mine, which is 66 percent owned by its Turquoise Hill arm and 34 percent owned by the Mongolian government.