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Vale is a giant mining company that digs iron ore and other metals out of the ground and sells them around the world.
Vale is one of the biggest mining companies on Earth. It pulls iron ore out of the ground in Brazil and sells it mostly to steel mills, especially in China. Iron ore is the main event: it makes up roughly 80 percent of the company's revenue, and its fate rises and falls with Chinese steel demand. Think of it as the world's gravel supplier for skyscrapers, cars, and bridges — except the gravel is iron, and the customers are steel factories.
Vale also mines other metals. It produces nickel, used in stainless steel and electric car batteries, and copper, used in wiring and motors. These "base metals" are a smaller slice of revenue but a big part of Vale's pitch for the future, since the shift to electric vehicles and clean energy needs lots of both. The company also mines smaller amounts of manganese, coal, and cobalt, and runs railroads and ports in Brazil to move its ore to ships.
The business is simple but brutal. Dig ore cheaply, ship it far, and profit when prices are high. Vale is a low-cost producer, which helps when prices fall, but it doesn't control prices — the market does. That's why earnings swing hard. A few years ago, Vale faced serious problems: a deadly dam disaster in 2019 killed hundreds and led to lawsuits, payouts, and tighter safety rules. Since then, the company has focused on safer operations and returning cash to shareholders, paying big dividends and buying back shares when iron ore prices are strong. It's a cash machine when China builds, and a tough place to be when China slows.
Saved answer · last researched 11 Oct 2026