Rio Tinto sees prices above long-term trend in '09

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Global miner Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO.AX)(RIO.L) said it sees prices for major commodities remaining above their long-term trend in 2009.

"Expansion in supply will continue to be limited by access to resources and constraints on the availability of key inputs and skills," Chairman Paul Skinner told reporters.

"So we expect that prices for Rio Tinto's major commodities to remain substantially above the long-run trend in 2009."

(Reporting by James Regan)