(Repeats story published late Wednesday; no changes to text)
LONDON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Mining group Rio Tinto RIO.L RIO.AX said on Wednesday it has no plans to hedge its exposure to commodity markets even as energy and raw material prices tumble, intensifying an industry crisis.
Many miners are loathe to hedge or fix a forward sales prices because it can mean they lose out on profits if prices recover. However, as prices of many commodities have collapsed, the question of hedging has become more pertinent.
"Our structural position (on hedging) is very clear," Jean Sebastien Jacques, chief executive of copper and coal for Rio Tinto, said at a Bloomberg event that was part of the LME Week industry gathering.
According to Rio Tinto's 2014 annual report, the company's policy is to sell its products "at prices that reflect the value of our products in the market and not to enter into price hedging arrangements".