Return to Iron Ore home

Brazil Iron Ore

Brazil is one of the largest iron ore producing country in the world. The iron content in Brazil iron ore is the highest than iron ore found in any location in the world. The iron ore found in Brazil is of two types: lump type iron ore and pellets type iron ore. The pellet type iron ore is in more demand in foreign markets than the lump type iron ore.

The Brazil iron ore producing companies themselves own mines and also carry on the excavation task for getting the iron ore from the mines. The major companies producing iron ore in Brazil are: Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD), Mineracoes Brasileiras Reunidas (MBR), Mineracao da Trindade(Samitri), Samarco Mineracao and Ferteco Mineraco.

Out of these companies Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) is biggest producer of iron ore in Brazil contributing to almost two third of the total iron ore produced in Brazil.

Companhia Vale do Rio Doce is also the largest exporter of Brazil iron ore and the major buyer is China apart from other Asian countries. Mineracoes Brasileiras Reunidas (MBR) is the second largest producer of Brazil iron ore.

Some major Brazil iron ore mines are as follows:

• Agua Limpa/Cururu

• Aguas Claras

• Alegria

• Alegria / Germano (Samarco

• Brucutu, Capanema

• Capao Xavier

• Carajas

• Casa de Pedra

• Caue /Minas do Meio

• Conceicao,

• Corrego do Feijao,

• Corrego do Meio,

• Corumba,

• Fazendao,

• Jangada

• Mina do Andrade

• Mutuca

• Pico Complex

• Segredo / Joao Pereira,

• Tamandua / Capitao do Mato /Aboboras,

• Timbopeba

Most of these mines are solely owned by Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) except the following mines:

• Jangada, Mutuca, Pico Complex are owned by Mineracoes Brasileiras Reunidas (MBR);

• Casa de Pedra is owned by Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN);

• Alegria / Germano (Samarco) is jointly owned by BHP Billiton and CVRD and Capao Xavier is jointly owned by CVRD, Itochu Corporation, Kawasaki Steel Corp, Kawasho Corp., Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, Nomura Trading, Tomen Corporation.

Out of the total Brazil iron ore produced only one-third quantity is utilized for domestic production of iron, while the rest is exported to various markets globally. Different countries from Asia import most of the iron ore produced in Brazil. Hence the rise and fall of iron ore business in Brazil is directly proportional to the changes in economies of countries like South Korea, Japan and China.