As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 2, 2005

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FORM 20-F

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Avenida Graça Aranha, No. 26
20030-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
(Address of principal executive offices)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None

The number of outstanding shares of each class of stock of CVRD as of December 31, 2004 was:

735,803,919 common shares, no par value per share
415,715,785 preferred class A shares, no par value per share
3 golden shares, no par value per share

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes þ            No o

Indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.

Item 17 o            Item 18 þ

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 i

TABLE OF CONTENTS
(cont’d.)

ii

GLOSSARY

2

3

PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION

     We have prepared our financial statements appearing in this annual report in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (U.S. GAAP), which differ in certain respects from accounting practices adopted in Brazil (defined as Brazilian GAAP). Brazilian GAAP is determined by the requirements of Law No. 6,404, dated December 15, 1976, as amended (the Brazilian Corporate Law), and the rules and regulations of the Comissão de Valores Mobiliários, or CVM, the Brazilian Securities Commission. We also publish Brazilian GAAP financial statements in Brazil, which we refer to as our Brazilian Corporate Law financial statements. We use our Brazilian Corporate Law financial statements for:

     Our financial statements and the other financial information appearing in this annual report have been translated from Brazilian reais into U.S. dollars on the basis explained in Note 3 to our financial statements unless we indicate otherwise.

     References to “real,” “reais” or “R$” are to Brazilian reais (plural) and to the Brazilian real (singular), the official currency of Brazil. References to “U.S. dollars,” “dollars” or “US$” are to United States dollars.

     Unless otherwise specified, metric units have been used, e.g., tons refer to metric tons.

4

     References to “CVRD” are to Companhia Vale do Rio Doce. References to “Vale Overseas” are to Vale Overseas Limited. References to “us” or “we” are to CVRD, its consolidated subsidiaries and its joint ventures and other affiliated companies. References to “affiliated companies” are to companies in which Companhia Vale do Rio Doce has a minority investment, and exclude controlled affiliates that are consolidated for financial reporting purposes.

     References to “ANEEL” are to Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica, the Brazilian energy regulatory agency.

     References to “ANTT” are to Agência Nacional de Transportes Terrestres, the Brazilian regulatory agency for the transportation sector.

     References to our “ADSs” or “American Depositary Shares” include both our common American Depositary Shares (our common ADSs), each of which represents one common share of CVRD, and our preferred American Depositary Shares (our preferred ADSs), each of which represents one preferred class A share of CVRD. American Depositary Shares are represented by American depositary receipts (ADRs) issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank, as depositary.

     Reference to “BNDES” are to Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social, the Brazilian National Development Bank.

PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION CONCERNING RESERVES

     The estimates of the proven and probable reserves at our mines and the estimates of mine life, as of December 31, 2004, included in this annual report have been calculated according to the technical definitions required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. We derived estimates of mine life described in this annual report from such reserve estimates. We have adjusted ore reserve estimates for extraction losses and metallurgical recoveries during extraction for manganese ore and bauxite deposits. Our reserve estimates of iron ore, kaolin, copper and potash are reported as in situ tons with adjustments for dilution and mining losses. See Item 3. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business for a description of risks relating to reserves and reserves estimates. We have retained Pincock, Allen & Holt to audit and verify most of our estimates of proven and probable reserves as of December 31, 2004.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     This annual report contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Many of the forward-looking statements contained in this annual report can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “should,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate” and “potential,” among others. Those statements appear in a number of places in this annual report and include statements regarding our intent, belief or current expectations with respect to:

5

     We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those identified under Item 3. Key Information—Risk Factors. These risks and uncertainties include factors relating to the Brazilian economy and securities markets, which exhibit volatility and can be adversely affected by developments in other countries, factors relating to the iron ore business and its dependence on the global steel industry, which is cyclical in nature, and factors relating to the highly competitive industries in which we operate. For additional information on factors that could cause our actual results to differ from expectations reflected in forward-looking statements, please see Item 3. Key Information—Risk Factors, and our reports filed with the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information or future developments.

PART I

Item 1. Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisers

     Not applicable.

Item 2. Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable

     Not applicable.

6

Item 3. Key Information

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

     The table below presents selected consolidated financial information as of and for the periods indicated. You should read this information together with our consolidated financial statements appearing in this annual report.

7

8

EXCHANGE RATES

     The Central Bank of Brazil (the “Central Bank”) allows the real/U.S. dollar exchange rate to float freely, and it has intervened occasionally to control unstable movements in foreign exchange rates. We cannot predict whether the Central Bank or the Brazilian government will continue to let the real float freely or will intervene in the exchange rate market through a currency band system or otherwise. The real may depreciate or appreciate against the U.S. dollar substantially in the future. For more information on these risks, see Item 3. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Brazil.

     The following table provides information on the selling exchange rate, expressed in reais per U.S. dollar (R$/US$), for the periods indicated. Prior to March 14, 2005, under Brazilian regulations, foreign exchange transactions were carried out on either the commercial rate exchange market or the floating rate exchange market. Rates in the two markets were generally the same. The table uses the commercial selling rate prior to March 14, 2005.

     The following table sets forth the selling exchange rate, expressed in reais per U.S. dollar (R$/US$), for the periods indicated.

     On May 31, 2005, the selling rate was R $2.4038 per US$ 1.00.

RISK FACTORS

Risks Relating to Our Business

Due to our dependence on the global steel industry, fluctuations in the demand for steel could adversely affect our business.

     Sales prices and volumes in the seaborne iron ore mining industry depend on the prevailing and expected level of demand for iron ore in the world steel industry. The world steel industry is cyclical. A number of factors, the most significant of these being the prevailing level of worldwide demand for steel products, influence the world steel industry. During periods of sluggish or declining regional or world economic growth, demand for steel products generally decreases, which usually leads to corresponding reductions in demand for iron ore.

     Driven primarily by strong demand from Chinese steel makers, together with a modest expansion in other markets, the global seaborne iron ore market experienced high demand and rising iron ore and pellet prices in 2004. We cannot guarantee the length of time that demand will remain at current high levels or the direction of future prices. Sustained declines in world contract prices or sales volumes for iron ore could have a material adverse effect on our revenues.

9

The mining industry is an intensely competitive industry, and we may have difficulty effectively competing with other mining companies in the future.

     Intense competition characterizes the worldwide iron ore industry. We compete with a number of large international mining companies. Some of these competitors possess substantial iron ore mineral deposits at locations closer to our principal Asian and European customers. Competition from foreign or Brazilian iron ore producers may result in our losing market share and revenues. Our aluminum, manganese ore, copper concentrate and other activities are also subject to intense competition and are subject to similar risks.

Demand for iron ore and pellets in peak periods may outstrip our production capacity, rendering us unable to satisfy customer demand.

     Our ability to rapidly increase production capacity to satisfy increases in demand for iron ore is limited. In periods when customer demand exceeds our production capacity, we generally satisfy excess customer demand by reselling iron ore and pellets purchased from joint ventures or third parties. If we are unable to satisfy excess customer demand by purchasing from joint ventures or third parties, we may lose customers. Similarly, because it takes time to increase production capacity, we may fail to complete our iron ore expansion projects in time to take advantage of the current high levels of worldwide demand for iron ore. In addition, operating at or above full capacity may expose us to higher costs, including demurrage fees due to capacity restraints in our mines, railroads and ports.

Aluminum and copper are actively traded on world commodity exchanges and their prices are subject to significant fluctuations.

     Aluminum and copper are sold in an active world market and traded on commodity exchanges, such as the London Metals Exchange and the Commodity Exchange, Inc. Prices for these metals are subject to wide fluctuations and are affected by many factors, including actual and expected international economic and political conditions, levels of supply and demand, the availability and cost of substitutes, inventory levels maintained by producers and others, and actions of participants in the commodity markets. Prices for these metals are more volatile than iron ore and pellet prices because they respond more quickly to actual and expected changes in market conditions.

     Commencement of our copper operations will expose us to new risks.

     In 2004, we began producing and marketing copper concentrate from our Sossego mine in Carajás. Copper is a new business for CVRD. Risks involved with our entrance into the copper business include, but are not limited to:

Brazilian export products (e.g., grain and steel) could lose their international competitiveness, reducing the internal demand for logistics services.

     The Brazilian agriculture and steel industries are currently the primary drivers of demand for our logistics services. In 2004, approximately 78.8% of our logistics revenues were attributable to these markets. A reduction in world demand for Brazilian steel or agriculture exports could reduce demand for our logistics services and harm the profitability of our logistics business.

10

Adverse economic developments in our principal markets, especially China, could reduce demand for our products, leading to lower revenues and profitability.

     The world economy is the primary driver of demand in the global seaborne market for iron ore and pellets. In recent years, China has been the main driver of our sales increases. In 2004, 16.0% of our iron ore and pellet gross revenues were attributable to customers in China, and customers in China accounted for 11.7% of our total consolidated gross operating revenues. During the same period, 14.1% of our consolidated gross revenues were attributable to customers from Asian countries other than China and 30.1% were attributable to sales to European customers. A weakened global economy or a weakened economy in specific markets where we sell our products, such as China, could reduce demand, leading to lower revenues and profitability.

Our reserve estimates may be materially different from mineral quantities that we may actually recover, our estimates of mine life may prove inaccurate and market price fluctuations and changes in operating and capital costs may render certain ore reserves or mineral deposits uneconomical to mine.

     Our reported ore reserves and mineral deposits are estimated quantities of ore and minerals that have the potential to be economically mined and processed under present and anticipated conditions to extract their mineral content. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of reserves and in projecting potential future rates of mineral production, including many factors beyond our control. Reserve engineering is a subjective process of estimating underground deposits of minerals that cannot be measured in an exact manner, and the accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the quality of available data and engineering and geological interpretation and judgment. Estimates of different engineers may vary, and results of our mining and production subsequent to the date of an estimate may lead to revision of estimates. Reserve estimates and estimates of mine life may require revision based on actual production experience and other factors. For example, fluctuations in the market price of metals, reduced recovery rates or increased production costs due to inflation or other factors may render proven and probable reserves containing relatively lower grades of mineralization uneconomic to exploit and may ultimately result in a restatement of reserves.

We may not be able to replenish our reserves, which could adversely affect our mining prospects.

     We engage in mineral exploration, which is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks and frequently is nonproductive. Our exploration programs, which involve significant capital expenditures, may fail to result in the expansion or replacement of reserves depleted by current production. If we do not develop new reserves, we will not be able to sustain our current level of production beyond the remaining life of our existing mines.

Even if we discover mineral deposits, we remain subject to drilling and production risks, which could adversely affect the mining process.

     Once we discover mineral deposits, it can take us a number of years from the initial phases of drilling until production is possible, during which the economic feasibility of production may change. It takes substantial time and expenditures to:

     If a project proves not to be economically feasible by the time we are able to exploit it, we may incur substantial write-offs. In addition, potential changes or complications involving metallurgical and other technological processes arising during the life of a project may result in cost overruns that may render the project not economically feasible.

11

     We face rising extraction costs over time as reserves deplete.

     Reserves are gradually depleted in the ordinary course of a given mining operation. As mining progresses, distances to the primary crusher and to waste deposits become longer and pits become steeper. As a result, over time, we usually experience rising unit extraction costs with respect to each mine. Several of our mines have operated for long periods, and we will likely experience rising extraction costs per unit in the future at these operations.

     An increase in fuel costs may adversely affect our business.

     Our operations rely heavily on fuel sources. Fuel and gas represented 11% of our cost of goods sold in 2004. Fuel costs are a major component of our total costs in our logistics and pellets businesses, and indirectly affect numerous other areas of our business, including our mining and aluminum-related businesses. An increase in oil and gas prices may lead to lower margins in our logistics, mining and aluminum-related businesses.

We are involved in ongoing antitrust proceedings that could result in divestitures, fines or other restrictions that could harm our business.

     We are currently involved in 14 proceedings before the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica, or CADE, which is the primary Brazilian antitrust regulator. 11 of these proceedings involve post-transaction review of acquisition or joint venture transactions, which is required for nearly all of our acquisitions and joint ventures. The remaining 3 proceedings are administrative proceedings alleging that we have engaged in illegal anticompetitive conduct in connection with our iron ore, logistics and aluminum businesses. We intend to defend these claims vigorously, but cannot predict their outcome. If CADE were to find that we have engaged in anticompetitive conduct, it could order us to cease the conduct and/or to pay fines, which could be substantial.

     Our principal pending post-transaction review proceedings involve CVRD’s acquisitions of Socoimex, Samitri, Ferteco, Belém and CAEMI, and the agreement to unwind the cross-shareholdings between CVRD and Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional, or CSN. CADE may decline to approve these transactions or may place conditions on its approval that would have a material adverse effect on our business. In connection with CADE’s review, the Brazilian Economic Law Secretariat of the Ministry of Justice, or SDE, and the Brazilian Secretariat for Economic Monitoring, or SEAE, have each issued reports to CADE recommending that CADE condition its approval of these transactions on actions that could have an adverse effect on our business, including maintenance of certain pricing policies, divestiture of certain of our mines, the termination of our rights regarding the Casa de Pedra iron ore mine and the sale and restructuring of certain of our logistics interests. Prior to rendering its decision, CADE must also receive and consider the recommendations of the Ministerio Publico Federal. CADE may adopt some, all or none of the recommendations made by such bodies, or choose to impose other conditions pursuant to its approval that would be harmful to our business.

     For more information, see Item 8. Financial Information—Legal Proceedings.

     Our principal shareholder could have significant influence over our company.

     Valepar, our principal shareholder, currently owns 53.3% of our outstanding common stock and 34.1% of our total outstanding capital. For a description of the ownership of our shares, see Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—Principal Shareholder. As a result of its share ownership, Valepar can control the outcome of any action requiring shareholder approval, except for the appointment of certain directors and certain members of our conselho fiscal, or fiscal council. Further, the Brazilian government owns three golden shares of CVRD that give it limited veto powers over certain actions that we could otherwise take. For a detailed description of the veto powers granted to the Brazilian government by virtue of its ownership of these golden shares, see Item 10. Additional Information—Common Shares and Preferred Shares—General.

Many of our operations depend on joint ventures; our business could be adversely affected if our joint venture partners do not observe their commitments.

     We currently operate important parts of our pelletizing, electric energy, aluminum, bauxite and steel businesses through joint ventures with other companies. Our forecasts and plans for these joint ventures assume that our joint venture partners will observe their obligations to make capital contributions, purchase products and, in some cases,

12

provide managerial talent. If any of our joint venture partners fails to observe its commitments, the affected joint venture may not be able to operate in accordance with its business plans or we may have to increase the level of our investment to give effect to these plans. For more information on our joint ventures, see Item 4. Information on the Company—Lines of Business.

     Our market risk management strategy may not be effective.

     We are exposed to traditional market risks such as fluctuations in interest rates, exchange rates and commodity prices. In order to partially protect ourselves against market volatility, we enter into hedging transactions to manage some of these risks. See Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk. Our hedging strategy may not be successful in minimizing our cash flow exposure to these fluctuations and we may fail to identify correlations between the various market risks to which we are subject. In addition, to the extent we partially hedge our commodity price exposure, we may limit the upside benefits that we would otherwise experience if commodities prices were to increase. We do not currently hedge risks relating to fluctuations in iron ore, manganese, ferroalloys, copper and oil prices.

Failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could harm investor confidence in the integrity of our financial information, which could have an adverse impact on the trading price of our securities.

     Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, beginning with our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2006, we will be required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting. Such report will contain, among other matters, an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the fiscal year, including a statement as to whether or not our internal control over financial reporting is effective. This assessment must include disclosure of any material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting identified by management. Such report will also contain a statement that our auditors have issued an attestation report on management’s assessment of such internal controls.

     If we identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and we are unable to correct them in a timely manner, our management may be unable to conclude in its internal control report that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, which could cause investor confidence in the integrity of our financial reporting to suffer, lead to a decline in the trading price of our securities or limit our ability to access the capital markets. Similar adverse effects could result if our auditors express an adverse opinion or disclaim or qualify an opinion on management’s assessment or on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

We may not have adequate, if any, insurance coverage for some business risks that could lead to economically harmful consequences to us.

13

     These occurrences could result in damage to, or destruction of, mineral properties, production facilities, transportation facilities, equipment or vessels. They could also result in personal injury or death, environmental damage, waste of resources or intermediate products, delays or interruption in mining, production or transportation activities, monetary losses and possible legal liability. The insurance we maintain against risks that are typical in our business may not provide adequate coverage. Insurance against some risks (including liabilities for environmental pollution or certain hazards or interruption of certain business activities) may not be available at a reasonable cost or at all. As a result, accidents or other negative developments involving our mining, production or transportation facilities could have a material adverse effect on our operations.

If we are unable to successfully manage the health and safety risks to which our business exposes our employees, our business may be adversely affected.

     We operate in regions where tropical diseases are prevalent, and we are developing a potential coal mining operation in Mozambique, where AIDS is a major public health issue. If we are unable to adequately protect our employees from these diseases or are unable to ensure the health and safety of our employees, our business may be adversely affected.

Difficulties in implementing enterprise resource planning software may interfere with the normal functioning of our business.

     We are in the process of implementing enterprise resource planning software. If we are unable to replace, upgrade or modify our information technology systems to adapt to this new software in a timely and cost effective manner, our ability to capture and process financial transactions may be impacted. Implementing the software may prove more costly or take longer than expected, result in the loss of data or lead to system malfunctions that interfere with the normal functioning of our business. If we are unable to successfully manage the process of implementing the new software our results of operations may be adversely affected.

We may face a shortage in our supply of off-the-road tires and mining equipment due to increased consumption by mining companies that exceeds suppliers’ capacity.

     Global demand for off-the-road (“OTR”) tires increased significantly in 2004. Although manufacturers of mining and drilling equipment increased their capacity during 2004, capacity increases were not sufficient to compensate for the significant increase in demand for mining equipment. There are only five major tire factories worldwide and each is working at maximum capacity. The three major suppliers have already sold their entire OTR tire production through mid-year 2006. We expect that there will be very limited increases in large radial tire production over the next two years and that delivery lead times will increase significantly. Further capacity increases have been limited by bottlenecks in the distribution of parts and equipment from suppliers to equipment manufacturers. If we are unable to secure sufficient OTR tires to maintain our equipment, we may suffer temporary reductions in our production capacity.

     An increase in the prices of mining equipment may adversely affect our business.

     Due to the significant expansion of mining investments worldwide and the surge in steel prices, mining equipment prices have increased significantly. Increases in the cost of mining equipment may have a negative effect on the profitability margins of our mining business.

Risks Relating to Brazil

The Brazilian government has historically exercised, and continues to exercise, significant influence over the Brazilian economy. Brazilian political and economic conditions have a direct impact on our business and the market price of our securities.

     The Brazilian government frequently intervenes in the Brazilian economy and occasionally makes substantial changes in policy, as often occurs in other emerging economies. The Brazilian government’s actions to control inflation and carry out other policies have in the past involved wage and price controls, currency devaluations, capital controls and limits on imports, among other things. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by factors in Brazil including:

14

Inflation and government measures to curb inflation may contribute significantly to economic uncertainty in Brazil and to heightened volatility in the Brazilian securities markets and, consequently, may adversely affect the market value of our securities.

     Brazil has in the past experienced extremely high rates of inflation, with annual rates of inflation reaching as high as 2.567% in 1993 (as measured by the Índice Geral de Preços do Mercado published by Fundação Getúlio Vargas, or IGP-M Index). More recently, Brazil’s rates of inflation were 10.4% in 2001, 25.3% in 2002, 8.7% in 2003, 12.4% in 2004 and 2.4% in the four months ended April 30, 2005 (as measured by the IGP-M Index). Inflation, governmental measures to combat inflation and public speculation about possible future actions have in the past had significant negative effects on the Brazilian economy, and have contributed to economic uncertainty in Brazil and to heightened volatility in the Brazilian securities markets. If Brazil experiences substantial inflation in the future, our costs may increase, our operating and net margins may decrease and, if investor confidence declines, the price of our securities may fall. Inflationary pressures may also curtail our ability to access foreign financial markets and may lead to further government intervention in the economy, which could involve the introduction of government policies that may adversely affect the overall performance of the Brazilian economy.

Fluctuations in the value of the real against the U.S. dollar may result in uncertainty in the Brazilian economy and the Brazilian securities market and could have a material adverse effect on our net income and cash flow.

     The Brazilian currency has historically suffered frequent devaluation. In the past, the Brazilian government has implemented various economic plans and exchange rate policies, including sudden devaluations, periodic mini-devaluations during which the frequency of adjustments has ranged from daily to monthly, floating exchange rate systems, exchange controls and dual exchange rate markets. Although over long periods depreciation of the Brazilian currency generally is correlated with the differential in the inflation rate in Brazil versus the inflation rate in the U.S., depreciation over shorter periods has resulted in significant fluctuations in the exchange rate between the Brazilian currency and the U.S. dollar and other currencies.

     The real appreciated by 8.1% against the U.S. dollar in 2004, and appreciated by 4.6% during the first four months of 2005. The exchange rate between the real and the U.S. dollar may continue to fluctuate and may rise or decline substantially from current levels.

     Depreciation of the real against the U.S. dollar reduces the U.S. dollar value of distributions and the dividends on our American Depositary Shares and may also reduce the market value of our securities. In addition, exchange rate variations often have a significant effect on our net income. Depreciation of the real relative to the U.S. dollar may require us to record substantial foreign exchange and monetary losses on our U.S. dollar-denominated debt, whereas appreciation of the real against the U.S. dollar generally leads to the opposite effect. These foreign exchange and monetary gains or losses can be substantial, which can make our earnings from one period to the next more volatile. Exchange rate variations also have a substantial impact on our revenues and costs, because most of our revenues are in U.S. dollars and most of our costs are in reais. As a result, appreciation of the real against the U.S. dollar generally results in lower revenues and higher costs, which can hurt our operating profitability.

15

Exchange rate variations also influence the Brazilian economy and inflation rates, which may lead the Brazilian government to adopt policies that may have an adverse impact on our business. For additional information about historical exchange rates, see Item 3. Key Information—Exchange Rates.

Access to and the cost of borrowing in international capital markets for Brazilian companies are influenced by investor perceptions of risk in Brazil and other emerging economies, which may hurt our ability to finance our operations at an acceptable cost or reduce the trading price of our securities.

     International investors generally consider Brazil to be an emerging market. As a result, economic and market conditions in other emerging market countries, especially those in Latin America, influence the market for securities issued by Brazilian companies. Economic crises in one or more emerging market countries may reduce overall investor appetite for securities of emerging market issuers. Past economic crises in emerging markets, such as in Southeast Asia, Russia and Argentina, have resulted in significant outflows of U.S. dollars from Brazil and caused Brazilian companies to face higher costs for raising funds, both domestically and abroad, and have effectively impeded the access to international capital markets for extended periods. We cannot assure you that international capital markets will remain open to Brazilian companies or that prevailing interest rates in these markets will be advantageous to us. In addition, future financial crises in emerging market countries may have a negative impact on the Brazilian markets, which could adversely affect the trading price of our securities.

Brazilian government policies in the energy sector may have an adverse impact on the cost or supply of electricity for our aluminum-related and ferroalloy operations.

     We are a significant consumer of Brazil’s electricity production, and accounted for approximately 4.5% of total consumption in Brazil in 2004. Electricity costs are a significant component of the cost of producing aluminum and ferroalloys and represented 7.7% of our cost of goods sold in 2004.

     Brazil faced a shortage of energy during the second half of 2001, which led to an energy-rationing program that required a decrease in energy consumption by at least 20%. As a result of this program, we experienced a temporary reduction in our aluminum and ferroalloy production, both of which use significant amounts of electricity. Although the energy shortages ended in late 2001, and energy-use restrictions were lifted in March 2002, we cannot assure you that Brazil will not experience future energy shortages. Future shortages and government policies to respond to or prevent shortages may have an adverse impact on the cost or supply of electricity for our aluminum and ferroalloy operations.

     The Brazilian power generation business depends on concessions granted by the government and is regulated and supervised by ANEEL. A new law for the electricity sector was approved by the Brazilian Congress in March 2004 and established two public auctions in order to trade excess energy available in the market. The first auction occurred in December 2004 and the second in April 2005. The prices established in these auctions were low and may contribute to a decline in investments in future generation projects that could lead to energy shortages in the future. Changes in the laws, regulations or governmental policies regarding the power sector or concession requirements could lower the returns we are expecting from our investments in power generation. For more information on the regulations governing our energy production, see Item 4. Information on the Company—Regulatory Matters.

Our mining and logistics activities depend on authorizations of regulatory agencies, and changes in regulations could have an adverse effect on our business.

     Our mining and logistics activities in Brazil depend on authorizations and concessions by regulatory agencies of the Brazilian government. Our exploration, mining, mineral processing and logistics activities are also subject to Brazilian laws and regulations, which can change at any time. If these laws and regulations change in the future, modifications to our technologies and operations could be required, and we could be required to make unbudgeted capital expenditures. For a more detailed discussion about the authorizations and concessions by regulatory agencies of the Brazilian government upon which our mining and logistics activities depend, see Item 4. Information on the Company—Regulatory Matters.

16

     Brazilian environmental laws may adversely affect our mining and energy businesses.

     Our operations often involve using, handling, disposing and discharging hazardous materials into the environment or the use of natural resources, and are therefore subject to the environmental laws and regulations of Brazil. Environmental regulation in Brazil has become stricter in recent years, and it is possible that more regulation or more aggressive enforcement of existing regulations will adversely affect us by imposing restrictions on our activities, creating new requirements for the issuance or renewal of environmental licenses, raising our costs or requiring us to engage in expensive reclamation efforts.

     Our projects often require us to obtain or renew environmental licenses. Difficulties in obtaining those licenses may lead to construction delays or cost increases and in some cases may lead us to abandon a project.

     We are also subject to Brazilian environmental legislation that requires companies undertaking projects with significant environmental impact to pay an “environmental compensation” fee in the amount of at least 0.5% of the total investment in the venture. There are numerous uncertainties about how this law will be applied in practice. If the level of the fees actually charged were increased above 0.5%, it would significantly increase our costs and, depending on the magnitude of the fees involved, could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity. Uncertainties regarding calculation and payment of these fees may strain our relations with the Brazilian environmental authorities or lead to delays in obtaining necessary environmental permits.

     Brazilian laws restricting development in the Amazon region for legal reserve purposes may place limits on our ability to expand certain of our copper or other operations and to fully exploit our mineral rights in those regions. See Item 4. Information on the Company—Regulatory Matters—Environmental Matters.

     Several Brazilian states in which we operate are currently considering implementing water usage fees under the National Hydrological Resources Policy. This may require us to pay usage fees in the future for water rights that we currently use for free, which could considerably increase our costs in areas where water resources are scarce.

     In addition, we are currently a defendant in an action brought by the municipality of Itabira, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, which alleges that our Itabira iron ore mining operations have caused environmental and social damages. If we do not prevail in this lawsuit, we could incur a substantial expense. For more information on environmental laws and the legal challenges we face, see Item 4. Information on the Company—Regulatory Matters—Environmental Matters and Item 8. Financial Information—Legal Proceedings.

Risks Relating to the American Depositary Shares

Restrictions on the movement of capital out of Brazil may hinder your ability to receive dividends and distributions on American Depositary Shares and the proceeds from any sale of American Depositary Shares.

     The Brazilian government may impose restrictions on capital outflows whenever there is a serious imbalance in Brazil’s balance of payments or reason to foresee a serious imbalance. This would hinder or prevent the custodian who acts on behalf of the depositary for the American Depositary Shares from converting proceeds from the shares underlying the American Depositary Shares into U.S. dollars and remitting those proceeds abroad.

     The Brazilian government imposed remittance restrictions for approximately six months in 1989 and early 1990. If enacted in the future, similar restrictions would hinder or prevent the conversion of dividends, distributions or the proceeds from any sale of shares from reais into U.S. dollars and the remittance of the U.S. dollars abroad. In that event, the custodian, acting on behalf of the depositary, will hold the reais it cannot convert for the account of the holders of American depositary receipts who have not been paid. The depositary will not invest the reais and will not be liable for interest on those amounts. Furthermore, any reais so held will be subject to devaluation risk.

If you exchange American Depositary Shares for the underlying shares, you risk losing the ability to remit foreign currency abroad and Brazilian tax advantages.

     The Brazilian custodian for the shares underlying our American Depositary Shares will obtain an electronic registration from the Central Bank to entitle it to remit U.S. dollars abroad for payments of dividends and other distributions relating to the shares underlying our American Depositary Shares or upon the disposition of the

17

underlying shares. If you decide to exchange your American Depositary Shares for the underlying shares, you will be entitled to continue to rely, for five business days from the date of exchange, on the custodian’s electronic registration. Thereafter, you may not be able to obtain and remit U.S. dollars abroad upon the disposition of, or distributions relating to, the underlying shares unless you obtain your own electronic registration by registering your investment in the underlying shares under Resolution No. 2,689 of the National Monetary Council, which entitles foreign investors to buy and sell securities on the São Paulo stock exchange, or BOVESPA. For more information regarding these exchange controls, see Item 10. Additional Information—Exchange Controls and Other Limitations Affecting Security Holders. If you attempt to obtain your own electronic registration, you may incur expenses or suffer delays in the application process, which could delay your ability to receive dividends or distributions relating to the underlying shares or the return of your capital in a timely manner. We cannot assure you that the custodian’s electronic registration or any certificate of foreign capital registration obtained by you will not be affected by future legislative changes, or that additional restrictions applicable to you, the disposition of the underlying shares or the repatriation of the proceeds from disposition will not be imposed in the future.

Because we are not obligated to file a registration statement with respect to preemptive rights relating to our shares, you may be unable to exercise those preemptive rights.

     Holders of American depositary receipts that are residents of the United States may not be able to exercise preemptive rights, or exercise other types of rights, with respect to the underlying shares. Your ability to exercise preemptive rights is not assured unless a registration statement is effective with respect to those rights or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is available. We are not obligated to file a registration statement relating to preemptive rights with respect to the underlying shares or to undertake steps that may be needed to make exemptions from registration available, and we cannot assure you that we will file any registration statement or take such steps. If a registration statement is not filed and an exemption from registration does not exist, JPMorgan Chase Bank, as depositary, will attempt to sell the preemptive rights, and you will be entitled to receive the proceeds of the sale. However, the preemptive rights will expire if the depositary cannot sell them. For a more complete description of preemptive rights with respect to the underlying shares, see Item 10. Additional Information—Common Shares and Preferred Shares—Preemptive Rights.

Holders of our American Depositary Shares may encounter difficulties in the exercise of voting rights.

     Holders of our common and preferred class A shares are entitled to vote on shareholder matters. You may encounter difficulties in the exercise of some of your rights as a shareholder if you hold our American Depositary Shares rather than the underlying shares. For example, if we fail to provide the depositary with voting materials on a timely basis, you may not be able to vote by giving instructions to the depositary on how to vote for you.

     Our corporate affairs are governed by our bylaws and the Brazilian Corporate Law, which differ from the legal principles that would apply if we were incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States or elsewhere outside Brazil. Under the Brazilian Corporate Law, holders of our common and preferred class A shares may have fewer and less well-defined rights to protect their interests relative to actions taken by our Board of Directors or by Valepar than under the laws of some jurisdictions outside Brazil.

     Although Brazilian law imposes restrictions on insider trading and price manipulation, the Brazilian securities markets are not as highly regulated and supervised as the U.S. securities markets or markets in certain other jurisdictions. In addition, rules and policies against self-dealing and regarding the preservation of minority shareholder interests may be less well-developed and enforced in Brazil than in the United States, which could potentially disadvantage you as a holder of the underlying shares and American Depositary Shares. For example, when compared to Delaware general corporation law, Brazilian corporate law and practice has less detailed and well-established rules and judicial precedents relating to the review of management decisions against duty of care and duty of loyalty standards in the context of corporate restructurings, transactions with related parties, and sale-of-business transactions. In addition, shareholders in Brazilian companies ordinarily do not have standing to bring a class action.

     In addition, as a foreign private issuer, we are not required to follow many of the corporate governance rules that apply to U.S. domestic issuers with securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE. For more information concerning our corporate governance policies, see Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees.

18

Item 4. Information on the Company

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

General

     We are the world’s largest producer and exporter of iron ore and pellets, the largest metals and mining company in the Americas and one of the largest private sector companies in Latin America by market capitalization. We hold exploration claims that cover 12.0 million hectares (29.6 million acres) in Brazil, and 3.8 million hectares (9.4 million acres) in Gabon, Chile, Mozambique, Mongolia, Argentina and Peru. We operate large logistics systems, including railroads and ports that are integrated with our mining operations. Directly and through affiliates and joint ventures, we have major investments in the aluminum-related, energy and steel businesses. We are investing heavily in copper and coal exploration, and our first copper mine began operations in June 2004.

     Our main lines of business are:

19

     Through our mineral prospecting and development activities in Brazil, we have acquired extensive experience in exploration techniques and processes, and maintain an active mineral exploration program in Brazil and overseas. In 2004, our mineral exploration efforts were focused on copper, gold, nickel, manganese ore, kaolin, bauxite, diamond and platinum group metals.

Incorporation of CVRD and Vale Overseas

CVRD

     CVRD’s legal and commercial name is Companhia Vale do Rio Doce. CVRD is a stock corporation, or sociedade por ações, duly organized on January 11, 1943, and existing under the laws of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

     CVRD was privatized in three stages between 1997 and 2002, beginning with the sale by the Brazilian government of a controlling stake in CVRD to Valepar in 1997. The last stage of the privatization took place in 2002, when the Brazilian government sold a remaining minority stake of common shares through a global equity offering. It is organized for an unlimited period of time. CVRD’s principal executive offices are located at Avenida Graça Aranha, No. 26, 20030-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, and our telephone number is 55-21-3814-4540.

Vale Overseas

     Vale Overseas is a finance company wholly owned by CVRD. It was registered and incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability on April 3, 2001. Vale Overseas is incorporated for an indefinite period of time. Its registered office is at Walker House, P.O. Box 908 GT, Mary Street, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

     Vale Overseas’ business is to issue debt securities to finance CVRD’s activities. It has no other operations or employees. Vale Overseas has issued three series of debt securities, including its US$ 300 million 8.625% Enhanced Guaranteed Notes due 2007, issued in March 2002, its US$ 300 million 9.0% Notes due 2013, issued in August 2003 and its US$ 500 million 8.25% Notes due 2034, issued in January 2004. We used the proceeds of these securities for general corporate purposes.

     On December 17, 2004, Vale Overseas completed a cash tender offer and repurchased US$ 187 million of its 8.625% Enhanced Guaranteed Notes due 2007. US$ 113 million of these Notes remains outstanding.

Business Strategy

     Our goal is to strengthen our competitiveness among the world’s leading mining companies by focusing on diversified growth in mining operations, principally by organic growth and developing our logistics business. We are pursuing disciplined capital management in order to maximize return on invested capital and total return to

20

shareholders. Although we are emphasizing organic growth in our core businesses, we may pursue strategic acquisitions in order to create value for our shareholders.

     Over the past several years, we have developed a robust long-term strategic planning process. We are building on these changes with ambitious long-range plans in each of our principal business areas, including substantial capital expenditures for organic growth through 2012.

     The following paragraphs provide some highlights of our major strategies.

Maintaining Our Leadership Position in the Seaborne Iron Ore Market

     In 2004, we consolidated our leadership in the seaborne iron ore trade market, with an estimated 32.1% of the total 602 million tons traded in the year. We are committed to maintaining our position in the world iron ore market by strengthening relationships with clients, focusing our product line to capture industry trends, increasing our production capacity in line with demand growth and controlling costs. We believe that our strong relationships with major customers (reinforced through long-term contracts), tailored product line and high quality products will likely enable us to achieve this goal.

     We are taking steps to encourage several steel makers to develop export-oriented slab plants in Brazil in order to create additional demand for our iron ore.

Growing Our Logistics Business

     We believe that the quality of our railway assets and our many years of experience as a railroad and port operator, together with the lack of efficient transportation for general cargo in Brazil, position us as a leader in the logistics business in Brazil. We are also expanding the capacity of our railroads through the purchase of additional locomotives and wagons.

Increasing Our Aluminum-Related Activities

     We plan to develop and increase production capacity in our aluminum-related operations, focusing on the first steps of the production chain, developing low-cost bauxite and alumina projects. We have large undeveloped high quality bauxite reserves and opportunities for low-cost expansions in our alumina refinery. We are working on the development of these opportunities. We are also investing in mineral exploration to increase our bauxite reserves. We may pursue acquisitions and/or partnerships in the production of primary aluminum to guarantee demand for our alumina.

Developing Our Copper Resources

     We believe that our copper projects, which are all situated in the Carajás region, in the state of Pará, can be among the most competitive in the world in terms of investment cost per ton of ore. Our copper mines will benefit from our transportation facilities serving the Northern System.

Investing in Coal

     We are pursuing several efforts to become a large global participant in the coal business. As an important supplier of raw materials to the steel industry, metallurgical coal will complement our portfolio of products.

Globalization of Multi-Commodity Exploration Efforts

     We are engaged in an active mineral exploration program, with efforts in several countries around the globe, including Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Mongolia, Gabon, Angola and Mozambique. We are mainly seeking new deposits of copper, gold, manganese ore, nickel, kaolin, bauxite, coal, diamond and platinum group metals. Mineral exploration is an important part of our organic growth strategy.

21

Developing Power Generation Projects

     Energy management and efficient supply have become a priority for us. Driven both by structural changes in the industry and regulatory uncertainties, which could increase the risk of rising electricity prices and energy shortages, such as Brazil experienced in the second half of 2001, we have invested in nine projects to develop hydroelectric power generation plants and we plan to use the electricity from these projects for our internal needs. As a large consumer of electricity, we expect that investing in power projects will help protect us against volatility in the price of energy.

Acquisitions, Asset Sales and Significant Changes in 2004 and 2005

Iron Ore and Pellets

     Carajás expansion. In 2004, we completed a major capacity expansion in our wholly owned Northern System, including a new pier at the local port, Ponta da Madeira and expansion at our Carajás iron ore mine operations. As a result, the annual nominal capacity of Carajás is now 70 million tons per year, an increase of 14 million tons. We are currently in the process of further expansions to reach 85 million tons per year in 2006 and 100 million tons per year by 2007.

     Leasing of Andrade mine. In 2004, we entered into an agreement to lease the Andrade iron ore mine and explore it for the remaining useful life of the mine. It is located in the state of Minas Gerais, 80 km from the Itabira iron ore mines and connected to the Vitória a Minas railroad. Our project is to expand the current mine capacity of 1.4 million tons to 9.4 million tons by 2008.

     Start up of Capão Xavier mine. In June 2004, we started operations at our Capão Xavier iron ore mine in the CAEMI system. The proximity of the Capão Xavier mine to the Mutuca mine, which has been operating in the region for over 40 years, allows the usage of the ore processing and transportation infrastructure that already exists at the location. In 2004, Capão Xavier produced 4.2 million tons of iron ore and it is expected to produce 8 million tons in 2005.

     Long-term contracts. During 2004, we signed new long-term contracts for the supply of more than 1.1 billion tons of iron ore with an average maturity of ten years.

     Maquiné deposit acquisition. On March 18, 2005, we acquired Sociedade de Mineração Estrela de Apolo, or Estrela de Apolo, for US$ 9.3 million. Estrela de Apolo is a mining company that has iron ore and bauxite mineral rights in the state of Minas Gerais. We will develop feasibility studies to estimate the annual production capacity of the deposit.

Logistics

     Cabotage liner service. In May 2003, we agreed with Mitsui & Co. to create DCNDB, a joint venture organized to develop a cabotage liner service. In November 2004, Mitsui acquired 21% of the shares of the joint venture, and we own the remaining 79% interest. We expect this joint venture will allow us to be the first major carrier to offer cabotage service between the ports of Fortaleza, in the state of Ceará, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina. We believe this joint venture will help us increase our share in the cabotage market and enable us to attract additional domestic and international customers.

     Ponta da Madeira Pier III. In the first half of 2004, Pier III at Ponta da Madeira Terminal, in the state of Maranhão, began operations. Pier III can accommodate vessels up to 220,000 DWT and has a maximum loading rate of 8,000 tons per hour. The pier is being used for the shipment of iron ore and pellets, supporting the expansion of production capacity at Carajás. Phase II of the Pier III expansion is now underway to install a new ship loader. This phase is expected to be completed by July 2005, see Item 4. Information on the Company—Capital Expenditures.

     CPBS maritime terminal expansion. We plan to expand the capacity of CPBS maritime terminal, in Sepetiba Bay, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, from 16 million tons to 19 million tons by 2005, and to 21 million tons by 2007.

22

Aluminum-Related Operations

     Alunorte capacity expansion. In July 2003, Alunorte began work on a new capacity expansion for its alumina refinery. This brownfield project, estimated to start up by 2006, involves the construction of stages 4 and 5 of the plant, and is expected to increase its annual capacity from 2.4 million to 4.2 million tons of alumina per year.

     Paragominas project. We are developing a new wholly owned bauxite mine located in Paragominas, in the state of Pará, which is expected to begin commercial production in the first half of 2007 to supply Alunorte’s new expansion with 4.5 million tons per year of wet 12% moisture bauxite. The bauxite quality will be similar to MRN’s, and the project will use the strip mining method of extraction and have a beneficiation plant including milling and a 244-kilometer long slurry pipeline.

     ABC refinery project. In May 2004, we signed a framework agreement with Chalco that sets forth a general outline of some of the principal terms for a potential joint investment in an alumina refinery in Brazil (ABC refinery). Under the agreement, we have agreed with Chalco to develop a joint study for the construction of a greenfield refinery in the state of Pará, near the existing facilities of Alunorte. The alumina refinery is expected to have an initial capacity of 1.8 million tons per year and will require investments currently estimated to be approximately US$ 810 million. The refinery project would form part of a series of related transactions involving mining, transportation, shipping and port development in Brazil. The framework agreement contemplates that bauxite for the project would be supplied from our Paragominas bauxite mine. If the project proceeds, the first stage of the refinery would be expected to be completed and operational in 2008. Since May 2004, two memoranda of understanding have been signed to define the main guidelines for the project. However, the project remains subject to the negotiation of final documentation and receipt of approvals from the boards of both companies and from the Brazilian government.

     Pitinga bauxite deposit. In November 2004, CVRD won an international bid from Paranapanema S.A. for US$ 20 million to research, evaluate and explore a bauxite deposit in the Pitinga region, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil.

Copper

     Sossego. In the first half of 2004, our Sossego copper mine began operations. Sossego produced 73 thousand tons of copper contained in concentrate in 2004, generating gross revenues of US$ 201 million. Our second copper project, 118, is subject to Board of Directors approval. If such approval is obtained, the construction of 118 is expected to start in the first half of 2005.

Steel and Metallics

     Ferro Gusa pig iron joint venture. In April 2003, we signed an investment agreement with Nucor Corporation, a North American steel maker, in order to form a joint venture in Brazil, Ferro Gusa Carajás S.A., or Ferro Gusa, in which 78% and 22% of the voting shares will be held by CVRD and Nucor Corporation (or one of its affiliates), respectively. The main purpose of Ferro Gusa is the production and sale of pig iron. In September 2003, we contributed to Ferro Gusa the forest assets once held by Celmar, a wholly owned subsidiary of CVRD which was merged into CVRD in August 2003. The cultivated forest assets, now owned by Ferro Gusa, will be used as an energy source for its pig iron production. On May 3, 2004 and March 15, 2005, Nucor Brasil Participações Ltda. (“Nucor”) an affiliate of Nucor Corporation, invested US$ 10 million in the capital of Ferro Gusa (as contemplated in the investment agreement). As a result, CVRD currently has approximately 78% and Nucor currently has approximately 22% of the voting shares of Ferro Gusa. We expect the plant to start up in the third quarter of 2005.

     Steel slab plant feasibility studies. We are taking steps to encourage several steel makers to develop export-oriented slab plants in Brazil in order to create additional demand for our iron ore.

23

Coal and Coke

     We are pursuing several efforts to become a large global participant in the coal business.

24

Other Minerals

     Potash. In November 2004, we won the concession to research and evaluate a potash deposit in the Neuquen Province, on the banks of the Colorado river in Argentina.

     Phosphates. In March 2005, CVRD won an international bid to explore the Bayóvar phosphate deposit located in the Piura region in Peru. CVRD will have the right to evaluate and develop a multimodal maritime terminal in the Piura region to ship phosphate and leverage other projects in northern Peru. The feasibility study must be completed within two years, after which, the project must be implemented within a 36-month period.

     Nickel. We recently concluded the feasibility studies for our Vermelho nickel project. Board of Directors’ approval to begin its construction is expected in June 2005. If the project proceeds, the construction of the mine, with an estimated capacity of 45,000 tons of nickel cathode and 2,000 tons of cobalt per year, is expected to be completed in 2008.

Electricity

     Start up of Candonga hydroelectric power plant. In September 2004, the Candonga hydroelectric power plant began operations with the start up of its first turbine. Candonga’s other two turbines began operations in October and December 2004. We hold a 50% stake in Consorcio Candonga, which owns the Candonga plant. Candonga has an installed capacity of 140 MW and a generation capacity of 64.5 average MW, equivalent to 565.020 megawatt hour (MWh) per year. We will use our share of the power from Candonga in our iron ore mining, pelletizing, port operations and other facilities in the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, Brazil.

Dispositions and Asset Sales

     In line with our focus on mining and logistics, we have continued to pare down our holdings of non-strategic assets. We summarize below our key dispositions and asset sales since the beginning of 2004.

     Companhia Siderúrgica Tubarão. In July 2004, we sold to Arcelor, the world’s largest steel maker, 4.42% of the voting capital and 29.96% of the non-voting capital of Companhia Siderúrgica de Tubarão, or CST for US$ 415 million. In December 2004, we sold our remaining stake in CST to Arcelor for US$ 164 million. This was possible due to the waiver given by the other parties to CST shareholders’ agreement. This resulted in the total divestment of our interest in CST.

     Santa Isabel hydroelectric power project. Negotiations are currently underway with ANEEL to return the concession for the Santa Isabel hydroelectric project due to difficulties related to environmental issues.

LINES OF BUSINESS

     Our principal lines of business consist of mining and logistics. We also invest in energy to supply part of our consumption. For internal management purposes, we group our aluminum-related operations together with our other significant equity participations in other companies.

Mining

Ferrous Minerals

     Our ferrous minerals business segment includes iron ore mining, pellet production, manganese ore mining and ferroalloy production.

25

     The table below sets forth our ferrous minerals gross revenues by geographic market and by category for the periods indicated as reflected in our consolidated financial statements.

Iron Ore

     We conduct our iron ore business primarily at the parent company level and through our subsidiaries Urucum Mineração S.A., or Urucum, and CAEMI.

Reserves

     The table below sets forth information regarding our proven and probable iron ore reserves and projected exhaustion dates as of December 31, 2004. The estimates of mineral reserves have been audited and verified by Pincock Allen & Holt, experts in mineral engineering. The projected exhaustion dates are estimated based on our estimates of future production levels.

26

27

28

Integrated Systems

The following map shows the location of our current principal operations.

29

     Our iron ore mining and related operations are concentrated in three systems in Brazil, the Southern System, the Northern System and the CAEMI System. The Southern System is located in the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro, and the Northern System is located in the states of Pará and Maranhão. Each of our Northern and Southern Systems includes iron ore reserves and other mineral deposits, mines, ore processing facilities and integrated railroad and terminal transportation facilities. Our railroads connect the Northern System mines to the Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal Complex and the Southern System mines to the Tubarão Maritime Terminal Complex. A small part of the iron ore produced in our Southern System is transported via MRS, a railway company in which we have a 37.2% direct and indirect participation interest, to our wholly owned CPBS maritime terminal. The operation of these separate systems, each with its own transportation capability, enhances the reliability of service to our customers. We also operate the CAEMI System which similarly contracts freight services from MRS to transport all of its products from its mines in the Iron Quadrangle region in the state of Minas Gerais, to the Guaiba maritime terminal in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

     Southern System

     The Southern System is an integrated system consisting of iron ore mines, the Vitória a Minas railroad, and the Tubarão Maritime Terminal (located in Vitória, in the state of Espírito Santo). The iron ore mines of the Southern System are divided in four mining areas (Itabira, Minas Centrais, Mariana and Minas do Oeste) and located in a region called the Iron Quadrangle in the state of Minas Gerais, in the southeast of Brazil. The Southern System is accessible by road or by spur tracks of the Vitória a Minas railroad. A small portion of the iron ore produced in the Southern System mines is transported through the MRS railroad to our CPBS maritime terminal at the Sepetiba Port, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Transportation of the iron ore produced in the Southern System is discussed below in Item 4. Information on the Company-Line of Business-Logistics.

     Iron ore in the Southern System is mined by open pit methods. These ore reserves have high ratios of itabirite ore relative to hematite ore. Itabirite is a quartz-hematite rock with an average iron content ranging from 35% to 60% requiring concentration to achieve shipping grade, which is above a 64% average iron content. Hematite is a high-grade ore with an average iron content of approximately 66%. Mines in the Southern System generally process their run-of-mine by means of standard crushing, classification and concentration steps, producing sinter feed, lump ore and pellet feed in the beneficiation plants located at the mining sites.

     In 2004, we produced 57.5% of the energy consumed in the Southern System at our Igarapava, Porto Estrela, Funil and Candonga hydroelectric power plants.

30

     Northern System

     The Northern System is an integrated system, including open pit mines and an ore processing complex in the Carajás region, in the state of Pará, the Carajás railroad and the Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal, in the state of Maranhão. The mines are located in the north of Brazil (in the Amazon river basin), on public lands for which we hold mining concessions. The Northern System’s reserves are among the largest iron ore deposits in the world. These reserves are divided into two main ranges (north and south), situated approximately 35 kilometers apart. Iron ore mining activities in the Northern System are currently being conducted in the northern range, which is divided into five main mining bodies (N4E, N4W, N5W, N5E and N5EN). Industrial scale mining operations began in 1985.

     Because of the high iron content (66.7% on average) in the Northern System, we do not have to operate a concentration plant at Carajás. The beneficiation process consists simply of sizing operations, including screening, hydrocycloning, crushing and filtration. This allows us to produce marketable iron ore in the Northern System at a lower cost than in the Southern System. Output from the beneficiation process consists of sinter feed, pellet feed, special fines for direct reduction processes and lump ore. After the beneficiation process, our Carajás railroad transports Northern System iron ore to the Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal.

     Our complex in Carajás is accessible by road, air and rail. It obtains electrical power at market rates from regional utilities. To support our Carajás operations we have housing and other facilities in a nearby township.

31

     CAEMI System

     CAEMI operates its iron ore activities through its subsidiary MBR. MBR operates mines in the Iron Quadrangle in the state of Minas Gerais and ships through its own maritime terminal on Guaiba Island in Sepetiba Bay, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

     MBR presently operates two main mining areas, Pico and Tamanduá, and two other single mines, Jangada and Capão Xavier, which have an average iron content of 65.9%. Iron ore is mined by the open pit method in each of the mines. Lump ore, sinter feed fines and pellet feed fines are produced from iron ore extracted from each mine after beneficiation. Each of Jangada, Pico and Tamanduá has its own beneficiation plant.

     MBR transports its iron ore to the Guaiba Island maritime terminal at market rates via the MRS railway.

32

Pellets

     The table below sets forth information regarding our share ownership and joint venture partners as of May 31, 2005 and total pellet production by our joint ventures and us for the periods indicated.

     We sell pellet feed to our pellet joint ventures at market-based prices. Historically, we have supplied all of the iron ore requirements of our wholly owned pelletizing plants and joint ventures, except for Samarco and GIIC to whom we supply a portion of their needs. Besides blast furnace pellets, some of the pellets we and our pelletizing joint ventures produce are direct reduction pellets, which are used in steel mills that use the direct reduction process rather than blast furnace technology.

     We operate our pelletizing joint ventures located in the Tubarão Port area. In 2004, we received US$ 53 million in fees for operating these joint ventures.

     The table below sets forth information regarding iron ore shipments to our pellet joint ventures for the periods indicated.

33

Customers, Sales and Marketing (Iron Ore and Pellets)

     We use all of our iron ore and pellets (including our share of joint venture pellet production) to supply the steel making industry. Prevailing and expected levels of demand for steel products affect demand for our iron ore and pellets. Demand for steel products is influenced by many factors, such as expected rates of economic growth.

     Most of our iron ore and pellets are shipped to Asia and Europe, with customers in China, Japan, South Korea, France and Germany accounting for approximately 46.5% of our total iron ore and pellets shipments in 2004. Historically, we have sold to the Brazilian market one-third of our iron ore shipments. In 2004, 36% of the iron ore sold in Brazil was directed to our pelletizing joint ventures, whose pellets are primarily sold to other markets. Our 10 largest customers collectively purchased 89 million tons of iron ore and pellets from us, representing 38.7% of our 2004 iron ore and pellet shipments and 33.6% of our total iron ore and pellets revenues. With the exception of Arcelor which accounted for 11% of our sales of iron ore and pellets in 2004, no individual customer accounted for more than 10% of our sales of iron ore and pellets for any of the three years ended December 31, 2004.

     We strongly emphasize customer service in order to improve our competitiveness. We work with our customers to understand their principal objectives and to provide them with iron ore solutions to meet specific customer needs. To provide tailored solutions, we take advantage of our large number of iron ore mines and pellet plants to produce multiple iron ore products with different grades of iron, silica and alumina, and varying physical properties. We believe that our ability to provide our customers with a total iron ore solution, and the quality of our products are very important advantages helping us to improve our competitiveness in relation to competitors who may be more conveniently located geographically. In addition to offering technical assistance to our customers, CVRD operates sales support offices in Tokyo, Brussels, New York and Shanghai. These offices allow us to stay in close contact with our customers, monitor their requirements and our contract performance, and ensure that our customers receive timely deliveries. Our central sales office in Rio de Janeiro coordinates the activities of these offices. CAEMI’s sales support offices are located in Westport, Connecticut (United States), The Hague (The Netherlands), Hong Kong and Shanghai (China).

Distribution (Iron Ore and Pellets)

     Our ownership and operation of transportation systems designed for the efficient transportation of iron ore products complement our iron ore mining business in the Northern and Southern Systems. We operate an integrated railroad and terminal network in each of our Northern and Southern Systems. These networks transport our iron ore products from interior mining locations to maritime terminals and domestic customers. For a more detailed description of the networks see — Logistics below.

     We do not own or operate an integrated transportation system for our CAEMI System. Instead we enter into freight contracts with MRS to transport our iron ore products at market rates from MBR’s mines to its maritime terminal on Guaiba Island and to its domestic customers.

Competition (Iron Ore and Pellets)

     In general, the international iron ore market is highly competitive. Several large producers operate in this market. The principal factors affecting competition are price, quality, range of products offered, reliability, operating costs and transportation costs. In 2004, the European market and the Asian market (primarily China, Japan and South Korea) were the primary markets for our iron ore.

     Our biggest competitors in the Asian market are located in Australia and include subsidiaries and affiliates of BHP Billiton PLC and Rio Tinto Ltd. Although the transportation costs of delivering iron ore from Australia to Asian customers are generally lower than ours as a result of Australia’s geographical proximity, we believe we are able to remain competitive in the Asian market for two principal reasons. First, steel producers generally seek to obtain the types (or blends) of iron ore, which can produce the intended final product in the most economic and efficient manner. Our iron ore has low impurity levels and other properties that generally lead to lower processing costs. For example, the alumina content of our iron ore is very low compared to Australian ore. Our ore also has high iron grade, which improves productivity in blast furnaces, which is important during periods of high demand. Second, steel mills often develop sales relationships based on a reliable supply of a specific mix of iron ore. We have a customer-oriented marketing policy and place specialized personnel in direct contact with our clients to determine the blend that best suits each particular client. We sell most of our products FOB from our ports, which

34

means that the invoice price includes delivery at our expense to our ports and no further. In general, in the Northern and Southern Systems, our ownership of the process of producing and transporting iron ore to our ports makes it easier for us to ensure that our products get to our ports on schedule and at competitive costs.

     We are competitive in the European market for the reasons we described above, as well as the proximity of the Ponta da Madeira and Tubarão ports facilities to European customers. Our principal competitors in Europe are:

     The Brazilian iron ore market is competitive with a wide range of smaller producers and integrated steel producers such as CSN and Mannesmann. Although pricing is relevant, quality and reliability are important competitive factors as well. We believe that our integrated transportation systems, high-quality ore and technical services make us a strong competitor in Brazilian sales. Prices to Brazilian customers are based on global reference prices discounted by the lower transportation costs to their facilities. Therefore, prices to these clients are lower than to clients located outside Brazil.

Manganese Ore and Ferroalloys

     We conduct our manganese ore and ferroalloy businesses primarily through the following subsidiaries and joint ventures, as of May 31, 2005:

     In 2004, we were the largest manganese ore producer in the Americas and one of the largest players in the global seaborne market, with total shipments of approximately 1,002 thousand tons of manganese ore and 616 thousand tons of ferroalloys. We had US$ 701 million in revenues in 2004 from manganese ore and ferroalloy sales.

     We produce manganese ore products from the Azul mine in the Carajás region in the state of Pará and from the Urucum mine in the Pantanal region in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. We operate on-site beneficiation plants at both the Azul and Urucum mines. Both mines are accessible by road and obtain electrical power at market rates from regional electric utilities. We also operate five minor mines, Morro da Mina, Coribe, Barnabé, Cobra and São Desidério, in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia.

     Our manganese ore mines produce three types of manganese ore products:

35

     The production of ferroalloys consumes significant amounts of electricity. For information on the risks associated with potential energy shortages, see Item 3. Key Information—Risk Factors.

     The table below sets forth information regarding our manganese ore mines and recent manganese ore production for the periods indicated. The estimates of mineral reserves of Urucum and Azul have been audited and verified by Pincock, Allen & Holt. We own 100% of all mines.