According to the statistics provided by Brazil's National Union of the Industry of Extraction of Iron and Base Metals (Sinferbase), in 2012 Brazilian iron ore exports increased 1.45 percent year on year with a total of 296 million metric tons.

Major domestic miner Vale's share in Brazil's total iron ore exports last year reached 91.2 percent, amounting to 266 million metric tons, rising by 1.5 percent compared to 2011. As for other miners, Samarco exported 22 million mt of iron ore in 2012, falling by 1.2 percent, while Anglo American reported 6 million mt of iron ore exports in 2012, rising 25.35 percent, both compared to 2011.

In 2012, Brazilian pellet exports amounted to 51 million metric tons, decreasing by 10.4 percent year on year. Meanwhile, Brazil's total iron ore and pellet sales to its domestic market amounted to 28.7 milion mt in 2012, decreasing 25.2 percent compared to 2011.