TORONTO, CANADA--(Marketwire - May 16, 2012) - Inmet Mining Corporation (Inmet) (TSX:IMN) has joined the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), a leading international organization focused on improving sustainable development performance in the mining and metals industry. Membership was approved following a comprehensive review of our Corporate Responsibility commitments, systems and performance.

Jochen Tilk, President and CEO of Inmet, commented, "We are committed to growing responsibly as a base metal mining company, providing superior returns to our shareholders. Inmet is honoured to join ICMM, a world-class organization that shares our commitment to corporate responsibility. I look forward to our participation."

As part of its membership Inmet will be required to report publicly against their sustainable development performance on an annual basis. The resulting annual member performance assessment is published in ICMM's Annual Review.

An independent expert panel approved Inmet's membership on May 16, 2012 on the understanding that they will be able to fulfil all associated commitments within a two-year period. Inmet is the fourth company to join ICMM using the new member process launched in May 2011.

Craig Ford, Vice President Corporate Responsibility of Inmet, commented, "We are proud of our corporate responsibility commitment to operate in ways that manage our business risks prudently. Our actions and results build our reputation and drive value for our stakeholders. As a mid-tier company, we look forward to learning from other ICMM members, sharing our experiences, and working together to build solutions to the challenges associated with our business."

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Inmet as ICMM's newest member and look forward to working together to strengthen the contribution of mining, minerals and metals to sustainable development," said Anthony Hodge, President of ICMM. "We look forward to working with all our members as they continue to pioneer good practices in the industry."

Forward looking information

Securities regulators encourage companies to disclose forward-looking information to help investors understand a company's future prospects. This press release contains forward-looking information. These are "forward-looking" because we have used what we know and expect today to make a statement about the future. Forward-looking statements usually include words such as may, expect, anticipate, and believe or other similar words. However, actual events and results could be substantially different because of the risks and uncertainties associated with our respective business or events that happen after the date of this press release. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

About Inmet

Inmet is a Canadian-based global mining company that produces copper and zinc. We have three wholly-owned mining operations: Çayeli (Turkey), Las Cruces (Spain) and Pyhäsalmi (Finland). We also have an 80 percent interest in Cobre Panama, a development property in Panama.

Inmet Mining Corporation
Flora Wood
Director, Investor Relations
+1 416 361 4808
www.inmetmining.com

distributed by