Rio Tinto Q2 iron ore output up 8 pct on Q2 '08

SYDNEY, July 15 (Reuters) - Global diversified miner Rio Tinto (RIO.AX) (RIO.L) on Wednesday reported an 8 percent rise in second quarter iron ore production from a year earlier and said global markets remained tough.

Total production of 45.16 million tonnes of iron ore in the second quarter also marked a 43 percent rise over the first quarter, when output was cut due to reduced demand and heavy rains in the Pilbara region, the company said. (Reporting by James Regan; Editing by James Thornhill and Mark Bendeich)