The Brazilian mining company Vale increased its iron ore production by 2.6% in 2025 compared to the previous year, reaching 336 million tons. This is the highest annual production volume for the company since 2018, exceeding the previous forecast of 325-335 million tons.
This is reported by Finway
Production and Sales Dynamics
In the fourth quarter of 2025, the company extracted 90.4 million tons of iron ore, which is 6% more than in the same period of 2024. This result was made possible by the stable operation of the Brucutu mine, as well as increased volumes from the Capanema and VGR1 projects.
At the same time, pellet production last year decreased by 15% year-on-year, totaling 31.35 million tons. In the fourth quarter, pellet production volumes fell to 8.3 million tons, which is 9% less than in the same period of 2024. The decline is attributed to current market conditions.
“Production exceeded last year’s forecast (325-335 million tons)”.
Forecasts for 2026 and Future Projects
Vale reported that iron ore sales in the fourth quarter of 2025 rose by 5% year-on-year, reaching 84.9 million tons, corresponding to the increased production volumes. Overall, sales volumes for 2025 amounted to 314.35 million tons, which is 2.5% more than in 2024.
According to the company’s forecasts, in 2026, iron ore production is expected to be around 335-345 million tons, while pellet production is anticipated to be in the range of 30-34 million tons. The Capanema project is expected to reach full production capacity in the second quarter of 2026.