By Stephen WrightWELLINGTON, New Zealand--New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has promised her government will negotiate a three- to five-year delay in the closure of Rio Tinto's Tiwai Point aluminum smelter, as she campaigns for reelection. Rio Tinto Ltd. has said New Zealand's sole aluminum smelter is not economically viable and plans to close it in August 2021, jeopardizing several thousand jobs in the Southland region where it is located. The smelter consumes about 13% of New Zealand's electricity. Delaying the smelter's closure would allow more time for the region to develop new industries, Ms. Ardern said Monday. Ms. Ardern's governing center-left Labour Party has a substantial lead in opinion polls ahead of the national vote on Oct. 17.

Source: Wall Street Journal September 27, 2020 23:03 UTC