As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 29, 2010

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 20-F

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

 

For the fiscal year ended: December 31, 2009
Commission file number: 001-15030

 

VALE S.A.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Federative Republic of Brazil
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

 

Fabio de Oliveira Barbosa, Chief Financial Officer
fax: +55 21 3814 8820

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 Vale as of December 31, 2009 was:

3,181,726,583 common shares, no par value per share
2,030,997,714 preferred class A shares, no par value per share
12 golden shares, no par value per share

 

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes þ  No o

 

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Yes o  No þ

 

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 whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

 

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

U.S. GAAP þ     International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board o     Other o

 

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.

Item 17  o  Item 18  o

 

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes  o  No  þ

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

		Page
Form 20-F cross reference guide			ii
Forward-looking statements			4
Risk factors			5
Presentation of financial information			12
Selected financial data			13
I. Information on the company
Business overview			15
Lines of business			22
1.  Ferrous minerals			24
2.  Non-ferrous minerals			32
3.  Coal			45
4.  Infrastructure			48
5.  Other investments			53
Reserves			53
Capital expenditures and projects			65
Regulatory matters			69
II. Operating and financial review and prospects
Results of operations—2009 compared to 2008			79
Results of operations—2008 compared to 2007			85
Liquidity and capital resources			92
Shareholder debentures			94
Contractual obligations			95
Off-balance sheet arrangements			95
Critical accounting policies and estimates			95
Risk management			99

		Page
III. Share ownership and trading
Major shareholders			108
Related party transactions			111
Distributions			111
Trading markets			112
Share price history			113
American Depositary Shares			113
Purchases of equity securities by the issuer and affiliated purchasers			114
IV. Management and employees
Management			115
Management compensation			123
Employees			124
V. Additional information
Legal proceedings			125
Memorandum and articles of association			127
Exchange controls and other limitations affecting security holders			134
Taxation			135
Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures			142
Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting			142
Corporate governance			143
Code of ethics			145
Principal accountant fees and services			145
Information filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission			146
Exhibits			146
Glossary			147
Signatures			153
Index to consolidated financial statements			F-1
EX-1
EX-8
EX-12.1
EX-12.2
EX-13.1
EX-15.1
EX-15.2
EX-15.3
EX-15.4
EX-15.5
EX-15.6
EX-101 INSTANCE DOCUMENT
EX-101 SCHEMA DOCUMENT
EX-101 CALCULATION LINKBASE DOCUMENT
EX-101 LABELS LINKBASE DOCUMENT
EX-101 PRESENTATION LINKBASE DOCUMENT
EX-101 DEFINITION LINKBASE DOCUMENT

 

 

This annual report contains statements that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Many of those forward-looking statements 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 and include statements regarding our intent, belief or current expectations with respect to:

 

 

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 forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. These risks and uncertainties include factors relating to (a) the countries in which we operate, mainly Brazil and Canada, (b) the global economy, (c) capital markets, (d) the mining and metals businesses and their dependence upon global industrial production, which is cyclical by nature, and (e) the high degree of global competition in the markets in which we operate. For additional information on factors that could cause our actual results to differ from expectations reflected in forward-looking statements, see Risk factors. 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. All forward-looking statements attributed to us or a person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement.

 

 

 

 

Vale S.A. is a stock corporation, or sociedade por ações, organized on January 11, 1943 and existing under the laws of the Federative Republic of Brazil for an unlimited period of time. Its head offices are located at Avenida Graça Aranha, No. 26, 20030-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, and its telephone number is 55-21-3814-4477.

 

In this report, references to “Vale” are to Vale S.A. References to “us” or “we” are to Vale and, except where the context otherwise requires, its consolidated subsidiaries. References to our “preferred shares” are to our preferred class A shares. 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 Vale, and our preferred American Depositary Shares (our “preferred ADSs”), each of which represents one

preferred share of Vale. American Depositary Shares are represented by American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) issued by the depositary. Unless otherwise specified, we use metric units.

 

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

 

Risks relating to our business

 

The mining industry is highly exposed to the cyclicality of global economic activity and requires significant investments of capital.

 

The mining industry is primarily a supplier of industrial raw materials. Industrial production tends to be the most cyclical and volatile component of global economic activity, which affects demand for minerals and metals. At the same time, investment in mining requires a substantial amount of funds in order to replenish reserves, expand production capacity, build infrastructure and preserve the environment. Both the sensitivity to industrial production and the need for significant capital investments are important sources of financial risk for the mining industry.

 

Adverse economic developments in China could have a negative impact on our revenues, cash flow and profitability.

 

China has been the main driver of global demand for minerals and metals over the last few years. In 2009, Chinese demand represented 68% of global demand for seaborne iron ore, 44% of global demand for nickel, 39% of global demand for aluminum and 40% of global demand for copper. The percentage of our operating revenues attributable to sales to consumers in China was 38% in 2009. Although China largely withstood the recent global recession, a contraction of China’s economic growth could result in lower demand for our products, leading to lower revenues, cash flow and profitability. Poor performance in the Chinese real estate sector, one of the largest consumers of carbon steel in China, could also negatively impact our results.

 

A decline in demand for steel would adversely affect our business.

 

Demand for our most important products depends on global demand for steel. Iron ore and iron ore pellets, which together accounted for 59% of our 2009 operating revenues, are used to produce carbon steel. Nickel, which accounted for 14% of our 2009 operating revenues, is used mainly to produce stainless and alloy steels. Demand for steel depends heavily on global economic conditions, but it also depends on a variety of regional and sectoral factors. The prices of different steels and the performance of the global steel industry are highly cyclical and volatile, and these business cycles in the steel industry affect demand and prices for our products. In addition, vertical backward integration of the steel industry could reduce the global seaborne trade of iron ore.

 

The global seaborne trade of iron ore could also suffer from competition from metallics, such as semi-finished steel and scrap. In certain cases, it may be more economical for steelmakers to charge more scrap in basic oxygen furnaces (“BOF”) and electric arc furnaces (“EAF”), instead of producing pig iron. Semi-finished products, such as billets and slabs, may also be available from fully-integrated steel mills at low cost, reducing overall demand for seaborne iron ore.

 

The prices of nickel, aluminum and copper, which are actively traded on world commodity exchanges, are subject to significant volatility.

 

Nickel, aluminum and copper are sold in an active global market and traded on commodity exchanges, such as the London Metal Exchange and the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices for these metals are subject to significant fluctuations and are affected by many factors, including actual and expected global

macroeconomic and political conditions, levels of supply and demand, the availability and cost of substitutes, inventory levels, investments by commodity funds and others and actions of participants in the commodity markets.

 

Increased availability of alternative nickel sources or substitution of nickel from end use applications could adversely affect our nickel business.

 

Scrap nickel competes directly with primary nickel as a source of nickel for use in the production of stainless steel, and the choice between them is largely driven by their relative prices and availability. In 2009, the stainless steel scrap ratio fell from 49% to 43%. Nickel pig iron, a product developed by Chinese steel and alloy makers that utilizes lateritic nickel ores, competes with other nickel sources in the production of stainless steel. In 2009, estimated nickel pig iron production increased 17%, representing 7% of global nickel output. Demand for primary nickel may be negatively affected by the direct substitution of primary nickel with other materials in current applications. In response to high nickel prices or other factors, producers and consumers of stainless steel may partially shift from stainless steel with high nickel content (series 300) to stainless steels with either lower nickel content (series 200) or no nickel content (series 400), which would adversely affect demand for nickel.

 

We may not be able to adjust production volume in a timely or cost-efficient manner in response to changes in demand.

 

During periods of high demand, our ability to rapidly increase production capacity is limited, which could render us unable to satisfy demand for our products. Moreover, we may be unable to complete expansions and greenfield projects in time to take advantage of rising demand for iron ore. When demand exceeds our production capacity, we may meet excess customer demand by purchasing iron ore, iron ore pellets or nickel from joint ventures or unrelated parties and reselling it, which would increase our costs and narrow our operating margins. If we are unable to satisfy excess customer demand in this way, we may lose customers. In addition, operating close to full capacity may expose us to higher costs, including demurrage fees due to capacity restraints in our logistics systems.

 

Conversely, operating at significant idle capacity during periods of weak demand may expose us to higher unit production costs since a significant portion of our cost structure is fixed in the short-term due to the high capital intensity of mining operations. In addition, efforts to reduce costs during periods of weak demand could be limited by labor regulations or previous labor or government agreements.

 

Regulatory, political, economic and social conditions in the countries in which we have operations or projects could adversely impact our business and the market prices of our securities.

 

Our financial performance may be negatively affected by regulatory, political, economic and social conditions in countries in which we have significant operations or projects, particularly Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Indonesia, Mozambique, New Caledonia and Peru.

 

Our operations depend on authorizations and concessions from governmental regulatory agencies of the countries in which we operate. For details about the authorizations and concessions upon which our operations depend, see Information on the company—Regulatory matters. We are subject to laws and regulations in many jurisdictions that can change at any time, and changes in laws and regulations may require modifications to our technologies and operations and result in unanticipated capital expenditures.

 

Actual or potential political changes and changes in economic policy may undermine investor confidence, result in economic slowdowns and otherwise adversely affect the economic and other conditions under which we operate in ways that could have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

Protestors have taken actions to disrupt our operations and projects, and they may continue to do so in the future. Although we vigorously defend ourselves against illegal acts, while supporting the communities living near our operations, future attempts by protestors to harm our operations could adversely affect our business.

We could be adversely affected by changes in government policies, including the imposition of new taxes or royalties on mining activities.

 

Mining is subject to government regulation in the form of taxes and royalties, which can have an important financial impact on our operations. In the countries where we operate, governments may impose new taxes, raise existing taxes and royalties, or change the basis on which they are calculated in a manner that is unfavorable to us.

 

Our projects are subject to risks that may result in increased costs or delay that prevent their successful implementation.

 

We are investing to further increase our production capacity, logistics capabilities and to expand the scope of minerals we produce. Our projects are subject to a number of risks that may adversely affect our growth prospects and profitability, including the following:

 

 

Our controlling shareholder has significant influence over Vale, and the Brazilian government has certain veto rights.

 

As of March 31, 2010, Valepar S.A. owned 52.7% of our outstanding common stock and 32.4% of our total outstanding capital. As a result of its share ownership, Valepar can control the outcome of some actions that require shareholder approval. For a description of our ownership structure and of the Valepar shareholders’ agreement, see Share ownership and trading—Major shareholders.

 

The Brazilian government owns 12 golden shares of Vale, granting it limited veto power over certain company actions, such as changes to our name, the location of our headquarters and our corporate purpose as it relates to mining activities. For a detailed description of the Brazilian government’s veto powers, see Additional information—Memorandum and articles of association—Common shares and preferred shares.

 

Our governance and compliance processes may fail to prevent regulatory penalties and reputational harm.

 

We operate in a global environment, and our activities straddle multiple jurisdictions and complex regulatory frameworks with increased enforcement activities worldwide. Our governance and compliance processes, which include the review of internal control over financial reporting, may not prevent future breaches of law, accounting or governance standards. We may be subject to breaches of our Code of Ethical

Conduct, business conduct protocols and instances of fraudulent behavior and dishonesty by our employees, contractors or other agents. Our failure to comply with applicable laws and other standards could subject us to fines, loss of operating licenses and reputational harm.

 

Some of our operations depend on joint ventures or consortia, and our business could be adversely affected if our partners fail to observe their commitments.

 

We currently operate important parts of our pelletizing, bauxite, coal and steel businesses through joint ventures with other companies. Important parts of our electricity investments and all of our oil and gas projects are operated through consortia. Our forecasts and plans for these joint ventures and consortia assume that our partners will observe their obligations to make capital contributions, purchase products and, in some cases, provide skilled and competent managerial personnel. If any of our partners fails to observe its commitments, the affected joint venture or consortium may not be able to operate in accordance with its business plans, or we may have to increase the level of our investment to implement these plans. For example, the joint venture company that owns our Goro project in New Caledonia has a minority shareholder, Sumic Nickel Netherlands B.V., with a put option to sell us 25%, 50%, or 100% of its shares. Sumic may exercise the put option if the cost of the project exceeds a certain value agreed between the shareholders and certain other conditions are met. For more information about our joint ventures, see Information on the company—Lines of business.

 

Environmental, health and safety regulation may adversely affect our business.

 

Our operations involve the use, handling, discharge and disposal of hazardous materials into the environment and the use of natural resources, and nearly all aspects of our activities, products, services and projects around the world are subject to environmental, health and safety regulation, which may expose us to increased litigation or increased costs. Such regulations require us to obtain environmental licenses, permits and authorizations for our operations, and to conduct environmental impact assessments in order to get the approval for our projects and permission for initiating construction. Additionally, all significant changes to existing operations must also undergo the same procedure. Difficulties in obtaining permits may lead to construction delays or cost increases, and in some cases may lead us to postpone or even abandon a project. Environmental regulation also imposes standards and controls on activities relating to mineral research, mining, pelletizing activities, railway and marine services, decomissioning, refining, distribution and marketing of our products. Such regulation may give rise to significant costs and liabilities. In addition, community activist groups and other stakeholders may increase demands for socially responsible and environmentally sustainable practices, which could entail significant costs and reduce our profitability. Private litigation relating to these or other matters may adversely affect our financial condition or cause harm to our reputation.

 

Environmental regulation in many countries in which we operate 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 and products, creating new requirements for the issuance or renewal of environmental licenses, raising our costs or requiring us to engage in expensive reclamation efforts. Concern over climate change, and efforts to comply with international undertakings under the Kyoto Protocol, could lead governments to impose limits on carbon emissions applicable to our operations, which could adversely affect our operating costs or our capital expenditure requirements. For example, the Brazilian government passed a carbon emissions law (Política Nacional de Mudanças Climáticas) in December 2009, although it has not yet promulgated rules establishing specific limits on carbon emissions from mining activities.

 

Our reserve estimates may materially differ from mineral quantities that we may be able to 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 uneconomical to mine.

 

Our reported ore reserves are estimated quantities of ore and minerals that we have determined can 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 factors beyond our control. Reserve engineering involves estimating 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. As a result, no assurance can be given that the indicated amount of ore will be recovered or that it will be recovered at the rates we anticipate. Estimates may vary, and results of our mining and production subsequent to the date of an estimate may lead to revisions of estimates. Reserve estimates and estimates of mine life may require revisions based on actual production experience and other factors. For example, fluctuations in the market prices of minerals and metals, reduced recovery rates or increased operating and capital costs due to inflation, exchange rates or other factors may render proven and probable reserves 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 non-productive. 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 lives of our existing mines.

 

Drilling and production risks could adversely affect the mining process.

 

Once mineral deposits are discovered, it can take a number of years from the initial phases of drilling until production is possible, during which the economic feasibility of production may change. Substantial time and expenditures are required 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.

 

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, pits become steeper and underground operations become deeper. As a result, over time, we usually experience rising unit extraction costs with respect to each mine. Several of our mines have been operating for long periods, and we will likely experience rising extraction costs per unit in the future at these operations in particular.

 

Labor disputes may disrupt our operations from time to time.

 

A substantial number of our employees, and some of the employees of our subcontractors, are represented by labor unions and are covered by collective bargaining or other labor agreements, which are

subject to periodic negotiation. Negotiation may become more difficult in times of higher prices and consequently higher profits in the mining and metals industries, as labor unions may seek wage increases.

 

Strikes and other labor disruptions at any of our operations could adversely affect the operation of facilities and the timing of completion and cost of our capital projects. A large number of our unionized employees at our Canadian nickel operations in Sudbury, Port Colborne and Voisey Bay have been on strike since mid-2009, which has resulted in significantly reduced production from these operations. For more information about labor relations, see Management and employees—Employees. Moreover, we could be adversely affected by labor disruptions involving unrelated parties that may provide us with goods or services.

 

We may face shortages of equipment, services and skilled personnel.

 

The mining industry has faced worldwide shortages of mining and construction equipment, spare parts, contractors and other skilled personnel during periods of high demand for minerals and metals and intense development of mining projects. We may experience longer lead-times for mining equipment and problems with the quality of contracted engineering, construction and maintenance services. We compete with other mining companies for highly skilled executives and staff with relevant industry and technical experience, and we may not be able to attract and retain such people. Shortages during peak periods could negatively impact our operations, resulting in higher production or capital expenditure costs, production interruptions, higher inventory costs, project delays and potentially lower production and revenues.

 

Higher energy costs or energy shortages would adversely affect our business.

 

Energy costs are a significant component of our cost of production, representing 15.6% of our total cost of goods sold in 2009. To fulfill our energy needs, we depend on the following, all measured in tons of oil equivalent (TOE): oil by-products, which represented 39% of total energy needs in 2009, electricity (38%), coal (15%) and natural gas (6%).

 

Fuel costs represented 9.4% of our cost of goods sold in 2009. Increases in oil and gas prices adversely affect margins in our logistics services, mining, iron ore pellets, nickel and alumina businesses.

 

Electricity costs represented 6.2% of our total cost of goods sold in 2009. If we are unable to secure reliable access to electricity at acceptable prices, we may be forced to curtail production or may experience higher production costs, either of which would adversely affect our results of operations.

 

Electricity shortages have occurred in Brazil in the past and could reoccur in the future, and there can be no assurance that the Brazilian government’s policies will succeed in encouraging enough growth in power generation capacity to meet future consumption increases. Future shortages, and government efforts to respond to or prevent shortages, may adversely impact the cost or supply of electricity for our Brazilian aluminum and ferroalloy operations, which are electricity-intensive. Changes in the laws, regulations or governmental policies regarding the power sector or concession requirements could reduce our expected returns from our investments in power generation.

 

Through our subsidiary PT International Nickel Indonesia Tbk (“PTI”), we process lateritic nickel ores using a pyrometallurgical process, which is energy-intensive. Although PTI currently generates a majority of the electricity for its operations from its own hydroelectric power plants, low rainfall or other hydrological factors could adversely affect electricity production at PTI’s plants in the future, which could significantly increase the risk of higher costs or lower production volume.

 

Price volatility—relative to the U.S. dollar—of the currencies in which we conduct operations could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

 

A substantial portion of our revenues and debt is denominated in U.S. dollars, and changes in exchange rates may result in (i) losses or gains on our net U.S. dollar-denominated indebtedness and accounts payable and (ii) fair value losses or gains on our currency derivatives used to stabilize our cash flow in U.S. dollars. In

2009 and 2007, we had currency gains of US$665 million and US$1.639 billion, respectively; in 2008, we had currency losses of US$1.011 billion. In addition, the price volatility of the Brazilian real, the Canadian dollar, the Indonesian rupiah and other currencies against the U.S. dollar affect our results since most of our costs of goods sold are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, principally the real (64% in 2009) and the Canadian dollar (16% in 2009), while our revenues are mostly U.S. dollar-denominated. We expect currency fluctuations to continue to affect our financial income, expense and cash flow generation.

 

Significant volatility in currency prices may also result in disruption of foreign exchange markets and may limit our ability to transfer or to convert certain currencies into U.S. dollars and other currencies for the purpose of making timely payments of interest and principal on our indebtedness. The central banks and governments of the countries in which we operate may institute restrictive exchange rate policies in the future.

 

We may not have adequate insurance coverage for some business risks.

 

Our businesses are generally subject to a number of risks and hazards, which could result in damage to, or destruction of, mineral properties, facilities and equipment. 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.

 

Risks relating to our American Depositary Shares

 

If ADR holders exchange ADSs for the underlying shares, they risk losing the ability to remit foreign currency abroad.

 

The custodian for the shares underlying our ADSs maintains a registration with the Central Bank of Brazil entitling it to remit U.S. dollars outside Brazil for payments of dividends and other distributions relating to the shares underlying our ADSs or upon the disposition of the underlying shares. If an ADR holder exchanges its ADSs for the underlying shares, it will be entitled to rely on the custodian’s registration for only five business days from the date of exchange. Thereafter, an ADR holder may not be able to obtain and remit U.S. dollars abroad upon the disposition of, or distributions relating to, the underlying shares unless it obtains its own registration under Resolution No. 2,689 of the National Monetary Council, which permits qualifying institutional foreign investors to buy and sell securities on the BM&FBOVESPA. For more information regarding these exchange controls, see Additional information—Exchange controls and other limitations affecting security holders. If an ADR holder attempts to obtain its own registration, it may incur expenses or suffer delays in the application process, which could delay the receipt of dividends or other distributions relating to the underlying shares or the return of capital in a timely manner.

 

We cannot assure ADR holders that the custodian’s registration or any registration obtained will not be affected by future legislative changes, or that additional restrictions applicable to ADR holders, the disposition of the underlying shares or the repatriation of the proceeds from disposition will not be imposed in the future.

 

ADR holders may be unable to exercise preemptive rights relating to the shares underlying their ADSs.

 

ADR holders may not be able to exercise preemptive rights, or exercise other types of rights, with respect to the underlying shares. The ability of ADR holders to exercise preemptive rights is not assured, particularly if the applicable law in the holder’s jurisdiction (for example, the Securities Act in the United States) requires that either a registration statement be effective or an exemption from registration be available with respect to those rights. We are not obligated to file a registration statement in the United States, or to make any other similar filing in any other jurisdiction, relating to preemptive rights or to undertake steps that may be needed to make exemptions from registration available, and we cannot assure ADR holders that we will file any registration statement or take such steps. For a more complete description of preemptive rights

with respect to the underlying shares, see Additional information—Memorandum and articles of association—Preemptive rights.

 

ADR holders may encounter difficulties in the exercise of voting rights.

 

ADR holders do not have the rights of shareholders. They have only the contractual rights set forth for their benefit under the deposit agreements. ADR holders are not permitted to attend shareholders’ meetings, and they may only vote by providing instructions to the depositary. In the event that we fail to provide the depositary with voting materials on a timely basis, or the depositary does not provide sufficient time for ADR holders to submit voting instructions, ADR holders will not be able to vote. With respect to ADSs for which instructions are not received, the depositary may, subject to certain limitations, grant a proxy to a person designated by us.

 

The legal protections for holders of our securities differ from one jurisdiction to another and may be inconsistent, unfamiliar or less effective than investors anticipate.

 

We are a global company with securities traded in several different markets and investors located in many different countries. The legal regime for the protection of investors varies around the world, sometimes in important respects, and investors in our securities should recognize that the protections and remedies available to them may be different from those to which they are accustomed in their home markets. We are subject to securities legislation in several countries, which have different rules, supervision and enforcement practices. The only corporate law applicable to us is the law of Brazil, with its specific substantive rules and judicial procedures. We are subject to corporate governance rules in several jurisdictions where our securities are listed, but 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, and we are not subject to the U.S. proxy rules.

 

We have prepared our financial statements 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 (“Brazilian GAAP”). Brazilian GAAP is determined by the requirements of Brazilian corporate law and the rules and regulations of the Brazilian Securities Commission (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários), or CVM. We also publish Brazilian GAAP financial statements and use them for reports to Brazilian shareholders, CVM filings, determining the legal minimum dividend under Brazilian law and determining our Brazilian tax liability.

 

Beginning in 2008, significant changes are being made to Brazilian corporate law to permit Brazilian GAAP to converge with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). Pursuant to CVM regulations, we are required to report our financial statements in IFRS beginning with the year ending December 31, 2010. We do not currently expect to discontinue U.S. GAAP reporting for the year ended December 31, 2010.

 

Our financial statements and the other financial information 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.

 

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

 

Statement of income data

 

 

Basic and diluted earnings per share

 

 

 

 

Balance sheet data

 

 

 

 

 

Summary

 

We are the second-largest metals and mining company in the world and the largest in the Americas, based on market capitalization. We are the world’s largest producer of iron ore and iron ore pellets and the world’s second-largest producer of nickel. We are one of the world’s largest producers of manganese ore, ferroalloys, bauxite, alumina and kaolin. We also produce aluminum, copper, coal, potash, cobalt, platinum group metals (“PGMs”) and other products. To support our growth strategy, we are actively engaged in mineral exploration efforts in 21 countries around the globe. We operate large logistics systems in Brazil, including railroads, maritime terminals and a port, which are integrated with our mining operations. In addition, we are building a maritime freight portfolio to transport iron ore. Directly and through affiliates and joint ventures, we have investments in the energy and steel businesses.

 

The following table presents the breakdown of our total operating revenues attributable to each of our main lines of business, each of which is described following the table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business strategy

 

Our mission is to transform mineral resources into prosperity and sustainable development. Our vision is to become the largest mining company in the world, and to surpass established standards of excellence in research, development, project implementation and business operations. We aim to increase our geographical and product diversification and logistics capabilities. Iron ore and nickel will continue to be our main businesses while we boost the production capacity of our copper, coal and fertilizer nutrients businesses. To enhance our competitiveness, we will continue to invest in our railroads, maritime terminals, maritime freight portfolio and power generation capacities. We continue to seek opportunities to make strategic acquisitions, while focusing on disciplined capital management in order to maximize return on invested capital and total return to shareholders. Below we highlight our major business strategies.

 

Maintaining our leadership position in the global iron ore market

 

We continue to consolidate our leadership in the global iron ore market. In 2008, we had an estimated market share of 30.2% of the total volume traded in the seaborne market, and in 2009 it decreased to 24.9% due to the severe impact of the global recession on the steel industry in Brazil and Europe, two major markets for the sale of our iron ore products. We are committed to maintaining our leadership position in the global iron ore market, by focusing our product line to capture industry trends, increasing our production capacity in line with demand growth, controlling costs, strengthening our logistics infrastructure of railroads, ports, shipping and distribution centers, and strengthening relationships with customers. Our diversified portfolio of high quality products, strong technical marketing strategy, efficient logistics and strong and long-standing relationships with major customers will help us achieve this goal. We have also encouraged steelmakers to develop steel projects in Brazil through joint ventures in which we may preferably hold minority stakes, in order to create additional demand for our iron ore.

 

Achieving leadership in the nickel business

 

We are the world’s second-largest nickel producer, with large-scale, long-life and low-cost operations, a substantial resource base, advanced technology and a robust growth profile. We have refineries in North America, Europe and Asia, which produce an array of products for use in most nickel applications. We are a leading producer of high-quality nickel products for non-stainless steel applications, such as plating, alloy steels, high nickel alloys and batteries, which represented 59% of our nickel sales in 2009. Our long-term goal is to strengthen our leadership in the nickel business.

 

Developing our copper resources

 

We believe that our copper projects, all of which are situated in the Carajás mineral province in the Brazilian state of Pará, could be among the most competitive in the world in terms of investment cost per metric ton of ore. We are developing the Salobo project to produce copper concentrate and testing a new hydro-metallurgical technology at the Usina Hidrometalúrgica de Carajás plant (“UHC”) that could enable the development of other copper projects in this region. We expect these copper mines to benefit from our infrastructure facilities serving the Northern System. We are developing the Tres Valles copper project in Chile, and we have growth options in the copper business in Africa through a joint venture with African Rainbow Minerals Limited (“ARM”). We are engaged in mineral exploration in several countries to increase our reserve base.

 

Investing in coal

 

We are pursuing various opportunities to become a large global player in the coal business. We have coal operating assets and a portfolio of exploration projects in Australia and Colombia, and minority interests in two joint ventures in China. We intend to continue pursuing organic growth in the coal business through the development of the Moatize project in Mozambique, the development of more advanced coal exploration projects in Australia and Colombia, and mineral exploration initiatives in several countries, such as Mongolia.

Investing in fertilizer nutrients

 

We are pursuing various opportunities to become a large producer of fertilizer nutrients in order to benefit from rising global consumption, which is expected to grow significantly in emerging market countries. We expect per capita income growth and biofuels to drive demand for fertilizers. In this context, Brazil is expected to play a key role in the global agricultural market, given its position as a global agricultural powerhouse and its growth potential due to its access to water and arable land for the expansion of the agricultural frontier.

 

We have developed an understanding of the fertilizer industry, having successfully operated a potash mine in Brazil (Taquari-Vassouras) since the early nineties. Our portfolio of phosphate projects in Peru and Africa and potash projects in Argentina, Brazil and Canada positions us to capture a significant portion of market growth, especially in Brazil. We are engaged in several phosphate and potash mineral exploration projects around the world, and we are seeking opportunities to accelerate our growth strategy. We are currently in the final stage of negotiations to acquire fertilizer assets in Brazil. For more information, see —Significant changes in our business below.

 

Diversification and expansion of our resource base

 

We are actively engaged in a mineral exploration program, with efforts in 21 countries around the globe. We are mainly seeking new deposits of bauxite, coal, copper, iron ore, manganese ore, nickel, phosphates, natural gas, PGMs, potash and uranium. Mineral exploration is an important part of our organic growth strategy.

 

Enhancing our logistics capacity to support our iron ore business

 

We believe that the quality of our railway assets and extensive 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 have been expanding the capacity of our railroads primarily to meet the needs of our iron ore business.

 

To support our commercial strategy for our iron ore business, we continue to invest in a dedicated maritime freight shuttle service from Brazil to Asia and in the development of distribution centers in Asia and the Middle East in order to minimize freight costs and maximize flexibility so as to enhance the competitiveness of our iron ore business in these regions.

 

Developing energy projects

 

Energy management and efficient supply have become a priority for us. As a large consumer of electricity, we believe that investing in power generation projects to support our operations will help protect us against volatility in the price of energy, regulatory uncertainties and the risk of energy shortages. Accordingly, we have developed hydroelectric power generation plants in Brazil, Canada and Indonesia, and we are using the electricity from these projects to supply our internal needs. As a potentially large consumer of natural gas, in 2007 we began investing in natural gas exploration in Brazil through consortia, and in 2009 we made our first discoveries. We are seeking to diversify and optimize our energy matrix through increased use of thermal coal, renewable fuels and natural gas.

 

Significant changes in our business

 

We summarize below major acquisitions, divestitures and other significant developments since the beginning of 2009.

Production adjustments

 

During the second half of 2009, given the global economic recovery and stronger demand fundamentals for minerals and metals, we resumed iron ore operations in some mines in the Southern and Southeastern Systems in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, and we increased the pace of production at the Carajás site. We resumed operations at the Itabrasco and Hispanobras pellet plants in July and August, 2009, respectively, and resumed production at the Fábrica and São Luis plants in the first quarter of 2010, at which point all of our pellet plants are in operation.

 

In the third quarter of 2009, we resumed our manganese ore and ferroalloy operations, with the exception of two ferroalloy plants in Brazil. During the course of 2009, in response to improving market demand for kaolin, we increased production by our subsidiaries CADAM S.A., in the state of Amapá, Brazil, and PPSA, in the state of Pará, Brazil.

 

Acquisition of fertilizer nutrient assets

 

In January 2010, we entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding shares of Bunge Participações e Investimentos S.A. (“BPI”) for US$3.8 billion from subsidiaries of Bunge Ltd. BPI’s asset portfolio is composed of (i) phosphate rock mines and phosphate assets in Brazil and (ii) a 42.3% stake in the publicly traded Brazilian company Fertilizantes Fosfatados S.A.-Fosfertil (“Fosfertil”). Of the purchase price, US$1.65 billion will be allocated to the phosphate rock and phosphate assets, and the remaining US$2.15 billion to the shares of Fosfertil. The acquisition does not involve any retail or distribution business.

 

We also entered into contracts with Fertilizantes Heringer S.A. (“Heringer”), Fertilizantes do Paraná Ltda. (“Fertipar”), Yara Brasil Fertilizantes S.A. (“Yara”) and The Mosaic Company (“Mosaic”) that give us the right to directly and indirectly acquire Fosfertil shares for the same price per share paid to BPI, US$12.019, totaling US$1.9 billion, upon the closing of the BPI acquisition and the satisfaction of other conditions.

 

As a result of these acquisitions, we will hold a 78.9% stake in Fosfertil, corresponding to 99.8% of the common shares and 68.2% of the preferred shares. The total price to be paid for the acquisition of a 78.9% stake in Fosfertil is US$4.007 billion. Including BPI’s phosphate rock mines and phosphate assets in Brazil, the acquisition of fertilizer nutrients totals US$5.7 billion.

 

Pursuant to Brazilian corporate law and capital markets regulations, once the acquisition of the above mentioned stakes in Fosfertil are concluded, we will launch a mandatory offer to buy the remaining 0.19% of the common shares held by the minority shareholders for the same price per share agreed with BPI, Heringer, Fertipar, Yara and Mosaic.

 

Acquisition of copper exploration assets in the African copperbelt

 

In the first quarter of 2009, we acquired a 50% interest in a joint venture with African Rainbow Minerals Limited (“ARM”) for CAD81 million. The joint venture will develop and operate the assets of TEAL Exploration & Mining Incorporated (“TEAL”). TEAL has two copper projects in the African copperbelt, Konkola North and Kalumines, which together could represent a nominal production capacity of 65,000 metric tons of copper per year in the next few years, and an extensive copper exploration portfolio.

 

Acquisition of coal assets in Colombia

 

In the first quarter of 2009, we acquired 100% of the export coal assets of Cementos Argos S.A. (“Argos”) in Colombia for US$306 million, including inventories. Argos’s coal assets consist of the El Hatillo mine, the Cerro Largo coal deposit, a port and a minority stake in a railroad. Since Colombia is the world’s third-largest exporter of high-quality thermal coal, given its low level of sulfur and high calorific value, we are seeking to build a coal asset platform in the country to enhance our growth options in the coal business.

Acquisition of potash deposits in Argentina and Canada

 

In the first quarter of 2009, we acquired 100% of the Rio Colorado project (“Rio Colorado”) in Argentina and 100% of the Regina project in Canada, for US$850 million from Rio Tinto plc. Rio Colorado includes the development of a mine with an initial nominal capacity of 2.4 million metric tons per year of potash, with potential for expansion to 4.35 million metric tons per year, construction of a 350-kilometer railway spur, port facilities and a power plant. The Regina project is still in the exploration stage, with potential to deliver an estimated annual output of 2.8 million metric tons of potash. Existing infrastructure near the project will allow transportation of the final product to Vancouver on the Canadian west coast, facilitating access to the fast-growing Asian market, or Saint John on the east coast, facilitating access to the Americas and the European market.

 

Acquisition of Corumbá iron ore assets

 

In the third quarter of 2009, we acquired from Rio Tinto 100% of the Corumbá open-pit iron ore mining operations in Brazil, including associated logistics assets, inventory of final products, and cash balance, for US$814 million. The Corumbá iron ore mine is a world-class asset, characterized by high grade and rich in direct-reduction lump ores. The logistics assets support 70% of the operations’ transportation needs.

 

Increasing our stake in TKCSA

 

In the third quarter of 2009, we entered into an agreement with ThyssenKrupp Steel AG to increase our stake in ThyssenKrupp CSA Siderúrgica do Atlântico Ltda. (“TKCSA”) from our current 10% interest to 26.87%, by investing US$1.424 billion. TKCSA is building an integrated steel slab plant, with nominal capacity of five million metric tons of slab per year, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Start-up is currently scheduled for the first half of 2010. As a strategic partner of ThyssenKrupp, we are the sole and exclusive supplier of iron ore to TKCSA.

 

Organic growth

 

We have an extensive program of investments in the organic growth of our businesses. Our main investment projects are summarized under—Capital expenditures and projects. The main projects that have come into stream since the beginning of 2009 are summarized below:

 

 

Divestitures and asset sales

 

We are always seeking to optimize our portfolio structure. To that end, we dispose of assets from time to time that we have determined to be non-strategic. We summarize below our key dispositions and asset sales since the beginning of 2009.

 

Our principal lines of business consist of mining and logistics services. We also invest in energy to supply part of our consumption. This section presents information about operations, production, sales and competition and is organized as follows.

 

	1.6	Manganese ore and ferroalloys: sales and competition

 

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Our ferrous minerals business includes iron ore mining, iron ore pellet production, manganese ore mining, ferroalloy production and a pig iron operation. Each of these activities is described below.

 

1.1 Iron ore

 

1.1.1 Operations

 

We conduct our iron ore business in Brazil, primarily at the parent-company level and through our wholly owned subsidiary Urucum Mineração S.A. (“Urucum”). These mining and related operations are concentrated in three systems: the Southeastern System, the Southern System and the Northern System, each with its own transportation capability. In addition, we conduct mining operations through our joint venture Samarco.

 

 

Southeastern System

 

The Southeastern System mines are located in the Iron Quadrangle region of the state of Minas Gerais, where they are divided into three mining complexes (Itabira, Minas Centrais and Mariana), and in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, where the mines of Urucum and Corumbá are located.

 

The ore reserves in the three mining complexes have high ratios of itabirite ore relative to hematite ore. Itabirite ore has iron grade of 35-60% and requires concentration to achieve shipping grade, which is at least 63.5% average iron grade. Urucum ore reserves have high ratios of hematite ore, which has an average grade of 63%.

 

We conduct open-pit mining operations in the Southeastern System. At the three mining complexes, we generally process the 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 September 2009, we concluded the acquisition of Corumbá, where we produce lump ores. At the Urucum and Corumbá mines, we generally process the run-of-mine by means of standard crushing and classification steps, producing only lump ore. In 2009, we produced 100% of the electric energy consumed in the Southeastern System at our hydroelectric power plants (Igarapava, Porto Estrela, Funil, Candonga, Aimorés, Capim Branco I and Capim Branco II).

 

We own and operate integrated railroad and terminal networks in the three mining complexes, which are accessible by road or by spur tracks of our EFVM railroad. The EFVM railroad connects these mines to the Tubarão port in Vitória, in the state of Espírito Santo. For a more detailed description of the networks, see—Logistics. Urucum and Corumbá iron ore is delivered to customers by barges through the Paraguay River.

 

Southern System

 

The Southern System mines are located in the Iron Quadrangle region of the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The mines of our subsidiary Minerações Brasileiras Reunidas S.A.-MBR (“MBR”) are operated at the parent-company level pursuant to an asset lease agreement. The Southern System has three major mining complexes: the Minas Itabirito complex (comprised of four mines, with two major beneficiation plants and three secondary beneficiation plants); the Vargem Grande complex (comprised of three mines and one major beneficiation plant); and the Paraopeba complex (comprised of four mines and three beneficiation plants).

We use wet beneficiation processes to convert run-of-mine obtained from open-pit mining operations into sinter feed, lump ore and pellet feed, in addition to hematitinha, a product used primarily by Brazilian pig-iron producers. In 2009, we produced 100% of the electric energy consumed in the Southern System at our hydroelectric power plants (Igarapava, Porto Estrela, Funil, Candonga, Capim Branco I and Capim Branco II).

 

We enter into freight contracts with our affiliate, MRS, a railway company in which we own a 41.5% stake, to transport our iron ore products at market prices from the mines to our Guaíba Island and Itaguaí maritime terminals in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

 

Northern System

 

The Northern System mines, located in the Carajás mineral province of the Brazilian state of Pará, contain some of the largest iron ore deposits in the world. The reserves are divided into northern, southern and eastern ranges situated 35 kilometers apart. Since 1985, we have been conducting mining activities in the northern range, which is divided into three main mining bodies (N4W, N4E and N5). The Northern System has open-pit mines and an ore-processing plant. The mines are located on public lands for which we hold mining concessions.

 

Because of the high grade (66.7% on average) of the Northern System deposits, we do not need to operate a concentration plant at Carajás. The beneficiation process consists simply of sizing operations, including screening, hydrocycloning, crushing and filtration. Output from the beneficiation process consists of sinter feed, pellet feed, special fines for direct reduction processes and lump ore. We obtain all of the electrical power for the Northern System at market prices from regional utilities.

 

We operate an integrated railroad and maritime terminal network in the Northern System. After completion of the beneficiation process, our EFC railroad transports the iron ore to the Ponta da Madeira maritime terminal in the state of Maranhão. To support our Carajás operations, we have housing and other facilities in a nearby township. These operations are accessible by road, air and rail.

 

Samarco

 

We own 50% of Samarco, which operates an integrated system, comprised of a mine, pipeline, three pellet plants and a port. Samarco’s Alegria mine complex, located in Mariana, Minas Gerais, is in the same region as our Southeastern System.

1.1.2 Production

 

The following table sets forth information about our iron ore production.

 

 

 

 

1.2 Iron ore pellets

 

1.2.1 Operations

 

Directly and through joint ventures, we produce iron ore pellets in Brazil and in China, as set forth in the following table. The total estimated nominal capacity of the 10 pellet plants directly operated by us, including Hispanobras, is 48 million metric tons per year.

 

 

In the Tubarão port area, in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo, we operate our wholly owned pellet plants, Tubarão I and II, four plants we lease under operating leases and our jointly-owned plant, Hispanobras. We send iron ore from our Southeastern System mines to these plants and use our logistics infrastructure to distribute their final products.

 

Our São Luís pellet plant, located in the Brazilian state of Maranhão, is part of the Northern System. We send Carajás iron ore to this plant and ship its production to customers through our Ponta da Madeira maritime terminal.

 

The Fábrica and Vargem Grande pellet plants, located in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, are part of the Southern System. We send some of the iron ore from the Fábrica Nova mine to the Fábrica plant, and iron ore from the Pico mine to the Vargem Grande plant. We transport pellets from these plants using MRS.

 

Samarco operates three pellet plants in two operating sites with nominal capacity of 21 million tons per year. The pellet plants are located in the Ponta Ubu unit, in Anchieta, Espírito Santo. Iron ore from Alegria and our Southeastern System mine Fábrica Nova is sent to the Samarco pellet plants using a 396-kilometer pipeline, the longest pipeline in the world for the conveyance of iron ore. Samarco has its own port facilities to transport its production.

 

The Zhuhai YPM pellet plant, in China, is part of the Yueyufeng Steelmaking Complex. It has port facilities, which we use to send feed from our mines in Brazil. Zhuhai YPM’s main customer is Yueyufeng Iron & Steel (“YYS”), which is also located in the Yueyufeng Steelmaking Complex.

 

We sell pellet feed to our pelletizing joint ventures at market prices. Historically, we have supplied all of the iron ore requirements of our wholly owned pellet plants and joint ventures, except for Samarco and Zhuhai YPM, to which we supply only part of their requirements. Of our total 2009 pellet production, 58.8% was blast furnace pellets, and the remaining 41.2% was direct reduction pellets, which are used in steel mills that employ the direct reduction process rather than blast furnace technology.

The following table sets forth information about our iron ore sales to our pelletizing joint ventures for the periods indicated.

 

 

 

 

1.2.2 Production

 

The following table sets forth information about our iron ore pellet production. The table reflects 100% of production at each facility.

 

 

 

 

1.3 Iron ore and iron ore pellets

 

1.3.1 Customers, sales and marketing

 

We supply all of our iron ore and iron ore pellets (including our share of joint-venture pellet production) to the steel industry. Prevailing and expected levels of demand for steel products affect demand for our iron ore and iron ore pellets. Demand for steel products is influenced by many factors, such as global manufacturing production, civil construction and infrastructure spending. For further information about demand and prices, see Operating and financial review and prospects—Demand and prices.

 

In 2009, China accounted for 56.8% of our iron ore and iron ore pellet shipments, and Asia as a whole accounted for 72.7%. Europe accounted for 13.4%, followed by Brazil with 10.2%. Our 10 largest customers collectively purchased 96.6 million metric tons of iron ore and iron ore pellets from us, representing 39% of our 2009 iron ore and iron ore pellet shipments and 38% of our total iron ore and iron ore pellet revenues. In 2009, no individual customer accounted for more than 10.0% of our iron ore and iron ore pellet shipments.

In 2009, the Asian market (mainly Japan and South Korea) and the European market were the primary markets for our blast furnace pellets, while North America, the Middle East and North Africa were the primary markets for our direct reduction pellets.

 

We strongly emphasize customer service in order to improve our competitiveness. We work with our customers to understand their main objectives and to provide them with iron ore solutions to meet specific customer needs. Using our expertise in mining, agglomeration and iron-making processes, we search for technical solutions that will balance the best use of our world-class mining assets and the satisfaction of our customers. We believe that our ability to provide 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, we operate sales support offices in Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (South Korea), Singapore, Muscat (Oman) and Shanghai (China), which support the sales made by our wholly owned subsidiary located in St. Prex, Switzerland. These offices also 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.

 

1.3.2 Competition

 

The global iron ore and iron ore pellet markets are highly competitive. The main factors affecting competition are price, quality, range of products offered, reliability, operating costs and shipping costs.

 

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 are competitive in the Asian market for two main reasons. First, steel companies generally seek to obtain the types (or blends) of iron ore and iron ore pellets that 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, in addition to its high grade, the alumina grade of our iron ore is very low compared to Australian ores, reducing consumption of coke and increasing productivity in blast furnaces, which is particularly important during periods of high demand. When the market is very strong, our quality differential is in many cases more valuable to customers than a freight differential. Second, steel companies often develop sales relationships based on a reliable supply of a specific mix of iron ore and iron ore pellets. We have a customer-oriented marketing policy and place specialized personnel in direct contact with our customers to help determine the blend that best suits each particular customer.

 

In terms of reliability, our ownership and operation of logistics facilities in the Northern and Southeastern Systems help us ensure that our products are delivered on time and at a relatively low cost. In addition, we are developing a low-cost freight portfolio, aimed at enhancing our ability to offer our products in the Asian market at competitive prices and to increase our market share. To support this strategy, we ordered new ships, purchased used vessels and entered into medium- and long-term freight contracts.

 

Our principal competitors in Europe are Kumba Iron Ore Limited, Luossavaara Kiirunavaara AB (“LKAB”), Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière (“SNIM”), Rio Tinto Ltd. and BHP Billiton. We are competitive in the European market not only for the same reasons we are competitive in Asia, but also due to the proximity of our port facilities to European customers.

 

The Brazilian iron ore market is also competitive. There are several small iron ore producers and new companies with developing projects, such as Anglo Ferrous Brazil, MMX, MHAG and Bahia Mineração. At the same time, there are vertically integrated steel companies such as Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (“CSN”) and V&M do Brasil S.A. (“Mannesmann”). Usiminas has become partially integrated with the acquisition of an iron ore company. 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 the Brazilian market.

With respect to pellets, our major competitors are LKAB, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., Quebec Cartier Mining Co., Iron Ore Company of Canada (a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Ltd.) and Gulf Industrial Investment Co.

 

1.4 Manganese ore

 

We conduct our manganese mining operations in Brazil through our wholly owned subsidiaries Vale Manganês S.A. (“Vale Manganês”) and Urucum.

 

 

 

 

Our mines produce three types of manganese ore products:

 

 

We operate on-site beneficiation plants at our Azul mine and at the Urucum mines, which are accessible by road. The Azul and Urucum mines have high-grade ores (at least 40% manganese grade), while our Morro da Mina mine has low-grade ores. All of these mines obtain electrical power at market prices from regional electric utilities. The following table sets forth information about our manganese production.

 

 

 

 

1.5 Ferroalloys

 

The following table sets forth the subsidiaries through which we conduct our ferroalloys business.

 

 

We produce several types of manganese ferroalloys, such as high carbon and medium carbon ferro-manganese and ferro-silicon manganese. Our facilities have nominal capacity of 651,000 metric tons per year. The production of ferroalloys consumes significant amounts of electricity, representing 4.8% of our total

consumption in 2009. The electricity supply for our ferroalloy plant in Dunkerque, France and Mo I Rana, Norway are provided through long-term contracts. For information on the risks associated with potential energy shortages, see Risk factors.

 

The following table sets forth information about our ferroalloys production.