Rio Tinto expects green light for the Resolution copper mine in Arizona, delayed for twelve years, under the new US administration. CEO Jakob Stausholm expressed optimism that the project could now proceed. "We have made great progress," Stausholm said in an interview with the Financial Times, which will be broadcast on Wednesday.

The Resolution Mine, being jointly developed by Rio Tinto (55 percent) and the Australian mining company BHP (45 percent), could become the largest copper mine in North America once completed. The planned annual production of one billion pounds of copper would cover approximately 25 percent of the US demand.

The approval procedures for the civil engineering project have been delayed due to complex land swap agreements, water consumption concerns, and resistance from indigenous groups. The San Carlos Apache, who consider the area sacred, have filed a lawsuit against the project. The decision of the United States Supreme Court is expected in the coming days.

During the first Trump administration, the government approved the land swap for the mine shortly before the end of the term. Trump announced measures to promote investments of more than one billion US dollars through accelerated approval processes. His designated Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, an advocate for the oil and gas industry, is also considered industry-friendly.

The copper mine in Arizona is one of several large projects that could benefit from the business-friendly measures of the Trump administration. Analysts expect that the Pebble Project in Alaska, a copper-gold venture by the publicly traded company Northern Dynasty Minerals, will also receive final approvals.