About Vale

About Vale

About Us

Originally established on June 1, 1942 as the state-owned Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, Vale became a private company ranking among the largest miners in the world. Our operations abroad cover approximately 30 countries that share our mission to transform natural resources into prosperity and sustainable development.

In addition to mining, we work with logistics – railways, ports, terminals and state-of-the-art infrastructure –, energy, and steel making.


Vale is the world's largest producer of iron ore, pellets, and nickel.

Our trains transport more than one million passengers on Vitoria-Minas railroad and Carajás railroad every year.

Our global workforce comprises around 120,000 direct and third-party employees.

54% of the energy consumed at Vale is self-generated.

We are the largest producer of manganese in Brazil , holding approximately 70% of the national market.

We protect natural areas across 8,500 km² – six times the size of the total area occupied by our operations.

We maintain initiatives and institutions focused on research and development of Innovation projects.

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Learn More About our Business

Select the business segment to learn about our products and operations.

Mining

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Logistics

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Steel Making

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Energy

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Our History

Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) was incorporated on June 1, 1942 pursuant to Decree-Law 4,352 signed by President Getúlio Vargas, for a 50-year term.

At the time, the country was under pressure to enter World War II. Established through the incorporation of two existing companies – Companhia Brasileira de Mineração e Siderurgia S. A., and Itabira de Mineração, CVRD would be able to boost supply of iron ore to the American war industry in the fight against the Nazis.


Although it was officially created in 1942, CVRD started in 1908, when two English engineers consulted Companhia Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas (CEFVM) to check the possibility of transporting ore from Itabira deposits via the railroad. After obtaining a favorable opinion, they set to organize the Brazilian Hematite Syndicate. In 1911, Itabira Iron Ore Company was incorporated to replace Brazilian Hematite, as the first company authorized to operate in the region.

In 1939, the owner of Itabira Iron Ore Percival Farquhar created Companhia Brasileira de Mineração e Siderurgia with six other Brazilian entrepreneurs. To tackle the need for a distribution channel, the company obtained permission to incorporate the Vitória-Minas railroad. In 1941, a group of entrepreneurs and partners of Percival Farquhar created Companhia Itabira de Mineração to exploit the mines owned by Itabira Iron Ore – together with Companhia Brasileira de Mineração e Siderurgia, this company was chosen by Getúlio Vargas to create the Companhia Vale do Rio Doce.


Our Commitments

Vale is committed to becoming one of the safest and most reliable mining companies in the world, always acting with due regard to its basic principle – life matters most. To achieve this, it is also committed to becoming a sustainable operator, a driver of local development and global sustainability.


Learn more about our strategic pillars and our commitments to people, safety and repair.

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Sustainability

We believe in a more sustainable world and we strive to respect and care for our planet. Check out Vale's Sustainability Report to learn more about our initiatives.

Read our Sustainability Report

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Ethics and Transparency

Vale created a web portal to promote greater transparency of its Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives. There are 33 pages of content, including Vale's goals, initiatives, actions, numbers and commitments.


Access the ESG Portal to learn about our sustainability initiatives

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