Construction is scheduled to begin in August and is expected to take eight years, generating around 600 jobs during the project. Local authorities expect that residents of the municipality will be hired both for the construction work and later for positions at the upgraded facilities.

The terminal is currently used for iron ore exports. With the planned expansion and modernization, its operational capacity is expected to increase, potentially boosting cargo throughput and increasing municipal tax revenues.

Source: Tupi FM

Here’s a summary of what matters for commodity markets:

METALS ​AND CRITICAL MINERALS

• China singled out its competitive edge in rare earths for the first time in ‌a five-year plan, pledging to maintain its lead and upgrade the industry.
• Beijing also said it would improve its export control system, which has caused shortages of critical minerals overseas.
• For metals more broadly, China’s push to expand clean energy may boost copper and aluminium ​demand via the massive grid build-out, some of which has already been flagged.
• China is heavily reliant on ​imports like copper and iron ore, and Beijing said it would push for more domestic ⁠exploration and mining, although it gave no examples.

OVERCAPACITY

• China again vowed to tackle overcapacity in heavy industry like steel, ​petrochemicals and copper smelting, although it stopped short of setting goals or calling for cuts to output.
• However Beijing did ​set targets for energy savings to help accelerate restructuring in these carbon-intensive industries.

• China will aim to cut carbon intensity, or how much carbon is released in economic activity, by 17%, slightly below the 18% target set the previous year. Actual carbon ​intensity only fell 12% over the last five years. By focusing only on carbon intensity, emissions can still increase ​as growth does.

The agreement comes amid rapid expansion in Argentina’s mining sector, which posted a 30% increase in exports in 2025, reaching $6.03 billion. For logistics and foreign trade operators, the pact points to an acceleration in infrastructure projects, as it предусматриes the use of public and private financing tools and streamlined permitting processes, facilitating foreign capital inflows into terminals and mining operations.

Agreement Pillars and Logistics Impact

The memorandum of understanding covers technical and operational areas expected to have a direct impact on cargo flows and sector efficiency. Key elements include cooperation in geology and materials management, as well as joint actions to promote more transparent markets and position Argentina within high–strategic-value supply chains. While the country has not produced copper at commercial scale since 2018, the government is betting on the development of world-class projects, with lithium remaining the main driver of current mining activity.

Export Outlook and Foreign Trade

Argentina’s foreign ministry projects a significant improvement in the country’s trade balance, with total exports expected to approach $100 billion over the next seven years. Within this outlook, mining is set to play a leading role, with forecasts pointing to annual exports of $20 billion in the medium term and potential to exceed $30 billion by the end of the next decade.

For logistics players, this growth will require substantial upgrades to port terminals and rail connections, particularly in northwestern Argentina, to handle rising mineral volumes. The consolidation of mining, alongside energy and agribusiness, reinforces the country’s position as an investment hub for port infrastructure and heavy cargo transport, increasing the need for efficient integration across transport modes to support growing global demand.

Source: DF Sud 

The sector’s revenue totaled R$ 298.8 billion in 2025, a 10.3% increase compared to 2024. Iron ore accounted for R$ 157.2 billion, equivalent to 52.6% of total revenue, despite a 2.2% decrease in the value of revenue from this substance. Minas Gerais, Pará, and Bahia led the sector’s revenue for the year, with shares of 39.9%, 34.5%, and 4.5%, respectively, confirming the regional concentration of mining activity in the country.

The following chart compares monthly Brazilian iron ore exports from January to November over the last four years, according to DataLiner data. It is worth noting that Vale is the primary owner and agent for these shipments.

Iron Ore Exports | Jan-Nov | 2022-2025 | WTMT

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

International trade

In foreign trade, the sector exported approximately 431 million tons of mineral products, a 7.1% increase in volume, resulting in revenues of approximately US$46 billion, a 6.2% increase in dollars compared to 2024. Iron ore accounted for 62.8% of total exports.

Mineral imports totaled US$8.5 billion in 2025, with a slight increase of 0.1% in value and a decrease of 1.3% in tons, reflecting less external dependence on some strategic inputs.

Brazil’s mineral trade balance reached US$37.6 billion for the year, equivalent to 55% of the total Brazilian trade balance, which closed at US$68.3 billion. This result reinforces the role of the mineral sector as one of the main pillars of the country’s foreign trade. In 2024, this share of the trade balance was 47%.

The tax contribution from mining also increased. Total tax and charge collection from the sector grew by approximately 10% in 2025, reaching R$ 103 billion. Of this total, the Financial Compensation for Mineral Exploration (CFEM) amounted to R$ 7.9 billion. In 2024, the sector had collected R$ 93.4 billion in taxes and charges.

In the labor market, the mineral extraction industry registered 229,312 direct jobs in November 2025, excluding oil and gas. Between January and November, 8,330 new formal jobs were created in the sector.

Investments

Medium-term prospects indicate an expansion of investments. The estimate for projects in the mineral sector for the period 2026 to 2030 is US$76.9 billion, a value 12.5% ​​higher than that projected in the previous cycle.

Critical and strategic minerals account for a significant portion of this movement. Projected investments in these substances reach US$21.3 billion by 2030, a 15.2% increase compared to the previous projection, signaling the sector’s alignment with the demands of the energy transition and global reindustrialization.

Previously, the total value of investments in mining, for the period 2025-2029, was US$ 68.4 billion, IBRAM points out.

Fonte: IBRAM

Gold and silver had jumped 30% and 71% to record highs in January before they started dropping.

Losses spilled over into equity markets as investors ditched other assets to cover any precious metals losses. Global stocks fell for a third straight day, led by steep declines across Asia and in Europe, where basic resources stocks came under heavy fire.

MSCI’s All-World index was down 0.5% on the day, having fallen 1.5% since January 27’s record high. Investor nervousness was also reflected in a renewed rise in the VIX volatility index, which nudged at the 20-level that many view as a sign of heightened market tensions.

Gold slid 5% to its lowest in more than two weeks, while silver fell more than 7%.

Oil , dropped nearly 5%, easing from multi-month highs, and London Metal Exchange copper fell 3%.

On Friday, Trump named Warsh, a former governor of the Federal Reserve, to succeed Jerome Powell as head of the central bank in May. The choice sparked selling across financial markets.

Wall Street opened lower on Monday. At 1430 GMT, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), opens new tab was down 0.14%, the S&P 500 lost 0.22% and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), opens new tab fell 0.4%.

Trump’s choice of Warsh upended the idea that Powell’s replacement would push for aggressive monetary easing and lifted the dollar, which, when it rises, makes commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies, hitting demand.

Though he now advocates for rates to be lowered, Warsh had a reputation as an inflation hawk in his earlier stint at the Fed.

“The decision by markets to sell precious metals alongside U.S. equities suggests investors view Warsh as more hawkish,” said Vivek Dhar, a commodities strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

A hawkish Fed signals interest rates will stay higher for longer, supporting the dollar and raising the opportunity cost of holding gold and silver, dimming their appeal.

“A stronger U.S. dollar is also adding pressure on precious metals and other commodities, including oil and base metals,” added Dhar, who is sticking with a gold price forecast of $6,000 in the fourth quarter, however.

PRECIOUS METALS SELLING ACCELERATES ON MARGIN HIKES

The decline began on Friday, with the steepest one-day drop in spot gold since 1983, for a fall of more than 9%, while silver plunged 27% in its largest daily decline on record.

Selling in precious metals accelerated as CME Group hiked margins on its metal futures, with effect from Monday’s market close.

An increase in margin requirements is generally negative for affected contracts, as the higher capital outlay can dampen speculative participation, reduce liquidity, and push traders to unwind positions.

“The scale of the unwind unfolding in gold today is something I haven’t witnessed since the dark days of the 2008 global financial crisis,” said IG market analyst Tony Sycamore.

Prices in energy markets, meanwhile, came under pressure on Monday from signs of de-escalation in U.S.-Iran tension after Trump’s weekend comments that Iran was “seriously talking” with Washington, easing fears of conflict with the OPEC member.

Those comments, along with reports that the naval forces of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have no plans for live-fire exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, are signs of de-escalation, Sycamore added.

Copper and iron ore markets faced headwinds amid worries over high inventories and subdued demand in the run-up to this month’s Lunar New Year break in China, the world’s biggest buyer of industrial and bulk metals.

The end-user demand and transactions are expected to be sluggish before the holiday, which starts on February 15, analysts said.

In other commodities, Tokyo rubber fell nearly 3% while Chicago wheat and soybeans were down about 1%.

“The key question is whether this marks the start of a structural downturn in commodity prices or merely a correction,” said CBA’s Dhar.

“We see it as a correction and a buying opportunity rather than a fundamental shift.”

Source: Reuters

The result reflects the maturation of large-scale investments and the start-up of new mining operations, particularly in precious metals and minerals critical to the energy transition.

Metallic minerals remained the backbone of the sector’s export mix, accounting for 82% of total revenue, or $4.94 billion. Gold was the standout, reaching a historic high of $4.07 billion in export shipments.

Lithium on the rise as production expands

Lithium consolidated its position as the second pillar of Argentina’s mining industry, with exports totaling $905 million, or 15% of the sector’s total. The record was driven by a rapid expansion of production capacity: between 2024 and 2025, four new projects entered operation, bringing the number of active lithium mines in the country to seven.

Other industrial minerals and dimension stone generated $184 million in exports, accounting for the remaining 3% of the sector’s trade balance.

Logistics outlook and the RIGI effect

The record performance has been attributed to a combination of favorable international prices and the consolidation of large-scale operations. Looking ahead, the market expects even stronger growth, supported by the RIGI, Argentina’s incentive regime for large investments.

The program has attracted new capital for infrastructure and export logistics, which are essential to move output from mining provinces to ports. With fresh investment and lithium production stabilizing, mining is expected to significantly increase its contribution to Argentina’s trade surplus in the short and medium term.

Fonte: Government of Argentina

The company produced 336.1 million metric tonnes of iron ore in 2025, according to a regulatory filing released late Tuesday (Jan. 27). Vale’s previous production record was set in 2018, before the disaster.

Vale exceeded the production guidance set at the beginning of last year for iron ore, copper and nickel.

Shares of the miner were up more than 2% early Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 28) on Brazil’s B3 exchange.

Vale produced 90.4 million tonnes of iron ore in the fourth quarter. That compares with an average estimate of 89.1 million tonnes from analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Output declined from the previous quarter but exceeded levels seen in the same period a year earlier, supported by increased production at some mines in southeastern Brazil.

The following chart compares monthly Brazilian iron ore exports from January to November over the last four years, according to DataLiner data. It is worth noting that Vale is the primary owner and agent for these shipments.

Iron Ore Exports | Jan-Nov | 2022-2025 | WTMT

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Vale generates most of its profits from its iron ore business, with China as its largest customer. Rio Tinto is its main competitor among producers of the steelmaking raw material.

Last week, Rio Tinto reported annual production of 327.3 million tonnes in 2025, on a 100% basis.

Vale’s overall figures include third-party purchases, run-of-mine ore — material extracted and ready for processing — and feedstock for pellet plants.

The figures were released as Vale investigates water overflows at two of its mines in Minas Gerais state during Brazil’s rainy season. The company said iron ore production will not be affected.

Vale’s annual production guidance for 2026, set at between 335 million and 345 million tonnes, was unchanged.

In December, the company cut its annual forecast amid concerns about oversupply and slowing demand from China, the world’s largest iron ore consumer, as the Asian country grapples with a prolonged property sector crisis.

Base metals

Vale’s copper production rose 6.2% in the fourth quarter, reaching a total of 382,400 tonnes in 2025 — the highest annual level since 2018.

The company has said it is focused on accelerating the development of its assets in Brazil and Canada, rather than taking part in the recent wave of mergers in the copper market.

Vale is scheduled to release its fourth-quarter earnings on Feb. 12.

Source: Bloomberg Linea

The announcement is expected to align with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s interest in formalizing a partnership with Brazil to guarantee access to strategic minerals for Europe, officials said.

Ana Paula Repezza, business director at ApexBrasil, Brazil’s trade and investment promotion agency, said European interest is focused on companies producing rare earths, nickel, lithium and manganese—materials considered essential for electric vehicle manufacturing, a cornerstone of the EU’s decarbonization strategy for transport.

The announcement is slated for March 24 during an ApexBrasil forum on investment relations between Brazil and the EU. Repezza declined to name the companies expected to receive funding.

According to reporting by Folha de S.Paulo, one of the companies is Viridis, listed on the Sydney exchange but controlled by a Brazilian investment fund. Viridis plans to extract rare earth elements in southern Minas Gerais state starting in 2028 and has held regular talks with European investors. France’s state-backed export bank currently accounts for about half of the company’s outstanding debt used to advance the project.

Other potential recipients include Brazilian Nickel, which plans to operate in Piauí state, and AMG Lithium, already producing lithium in Minas Gerais. Both companies have taken part in recent ApexBrasil events with European investors. AMG Lithium operates a lithium processing plant in Germany and, in December, secured 36 million euros from a German government-backed fund to expand its European operations.

Repezza said the EU has expressed a preference for mineral processing and refining to take place in Brazil, in line with the position defended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. However, she stressed that there are no legal requirements mandating local processing, noting that such conditions are largely market-driven.

“It makes sense for the EU to support and invest in processing critical minerals in Brazil because extraction and processing are energy-intensive, and Brazil has one of the cleanest electricity matrices in the world, and therefore a much lower carbon footprint,” Repezza said.

Negotiations between Brazil and the EU follow a different path from the U.S. approach to critical minerals. Washington typically seeks contractual guarantees of supply and preferential access, and in some cases engages directly with mining companies. By contrast, the European model relies more on coordination and facilitation by governments.

According to Repezza, Brazil’s role has been to steer investment toward projects deemed strategic for the country, taking into account not only project maturity but also regional development considerations.

“We are accelerating EU investment while respecting public policies aimed at strengthening supply chains and advancing Brazil’s industrialization,” she said.

The talks also involve Brazil’s ministries of Mines and Energy; Science, Technology and Innovation; Development, Industry, Trade and Services; as well as development bank BNDES.

Momentum could be reinforced by the EU–Mercosur trade agreement, which will lower import tariffs on some critical minerals, whether shipped in raw or processed form. The deal was signed on Saturday and its legal review was approved by the European Parliament earlier this week.

Von der Leyen highlighted Europe’s interest in Brazilian minerals during remarks celebrating the trade agreement. “Europe and Brazil are moving toward a very important political agreement on critical minerals, which will define the terms of our cooperation in joint investments in lithium, nickel and rare earths,” she said, calling the partnership key to the EU’s energy and digital transitions.

The EU strategy is anchored in the ReSourceEU initiative, which aims to cut the bloc’s dependence on critical mineral imports by up to 50% by 2029. To that end, European investors are prepared to deploy up to 3 billion euros by the end of this year, with Brazil frequently cited in EU documents as a central partner in achieving that goal.

Source: Folha de S. Paulo

In 2025, the country’s exports climbed to US$107.004 billion, marking a 7.9% increase compared to 2024 (+US$7.839 billion) and setting a new record for the highest amount exported by the country since records began, with record values for both traditional and non-traditional exports.

It should be noted that in December 2025 alone, the country’s exports totaled US$11.285 billion, the highest level of foreign sales for a single month since records began.

Mining generated returns of US$63.253 billion, marking a 12.6% increase compared to 2024 and setting a new record for foreign sales. The dynamism exhibited by mining shipments was largely sustained by the rise in copper concentrates, with returns of US$ 36.278 billion, a figure that reflects an increase of 19.3%. This was followed in importance by growth in foreign sales of gold, molybdenum concentrate, and lithium carbonate. Overall, mining closed the year accounting for 59.1% of national exports of goods.

The fruit sector recorded record exports of US$8.63 billion, marking a 1.3% increase compared to 2024. Fresh cherries reached US$3.38 billion, positioning themselves as the country’s main export fruit, representing 39% of the sector’s exports. In addition, the sector’s dynamism was led by hazelnuts, walnuts, avocados, lemons, kiwis, blueberries, apples, almonds, nectarines, clementines, chestnuts, sarsaparillas, pomegranates, tangerines, and cranberries.

Foreign sales in the food industry continue to grow, reaching US$13.61 billion in 2025, which represents a 6.1% increase, reaching their highest annual level. This is supported by exports of 600 different types of food that Chile exported in 2025, including salmonids, frozen horse mackerel, frozen cuttlefish fillets, frozen blueberries, powdered milk, dried plums, apple juice, raisins, condensed milk, and Gouda cheese.

Organic foods posted historic returns of US$397 million, showing an increase of 19.6% compared to 2024. The sector’s growth can be explained by the dynamism in foreign sales of berries, honey, rosehip, and bottled Chardonnay and rosé wines, among others.

The forestry industry closed the year with shipments worth US$5.873 billion, down 8.8% from 2024, due to lower shipments of cellulose and wood chips. However, the sector saw strong growth in shipments of paper for corrugated reels, blanks, beds, paper bags, edge glue panels, corrugated cardboard, doors, cardboard boxes, paper towels, and packaging, among other industry products.

Finally, metal manufacturing, machinery, and transportation equipment accounted for US$2.606 billion in shipments worldwide, marking a 14.5% increase, due to higher shipments of mill balls, electrical conductors, mining machinery, gearboxes, stoves, and upright freezers.

Meanwhile, bottled wine exports totaled US$1.298 billion, down 3.7% compared to 2024.

Exports of traditional and non-traditional goods

At the end of 2025, exports of traditional goods accounted for 56% of total exports. Non-traditional shipments, meanwhile, accounted for 44%.

The country’s non-traditional exports closed the year with record shipments, totaling US$47.044 billion, an increase of 7.1% (+US$3.123 billion) compared to 2024. More specifically, the increase in non-traditional shipments was led by hazelnuts, frozen salmon fillets, iodine, avocados, walnuts, horse mackerel, cuttlefish, and frozen blueberries, among others.

Source: Marca Chile

The cargo originated in the Corumbá region, in Brazil’s Mato Grosso do Sul state, a major iron ore-producing area near the Brazil–Bolivia border. Of the total volume, 3.98 million tonnes were shipped overseas directly from the Navios terminal in Nueva Palmira, while the remaining 2.674 million tonnes were transshipped at Punta del Arenal.

At Punta del Arenal, iron ore was transferred from river barges to ocean-going vessels at the “La Isabel” and “Potiguar” transfer stations. The site is located at kilometer 27 of the Uruguay River and is operated by Brazilian mining company LHG Mining. The operation allows large export vessels to be loaded outside traditional port terminals, a common logistics solution along the Paraná–Paraguay–Uruguay waterway system.

Nearly 80% of the cargo was shipped to Asia, mainly to China, with the remainder bound for Europe, according to sources cited by Altamar News.

For the current year, projected volumes are expected to reach 8.6 million tonnes, an increase of about 33% compared with 2025. Of that total, 4.0 million tonnes are forecast to move through the Navios terminal in Nueva Palmira, while 4.6 million tonnes are expected to be handled at Punta del Arenal.

Source: Altamarnews