Rio de Janeiro, December 8, 2008 - Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (Vale) announces that it has stopped the operations of two of its pellet plants located at the port of Tubar�o, in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil. The two plants have a total production capacity of 7.3 million metric tons per year.
The decision to curtail pellet production is due to the unprecedented contraction of the global demand for iron ore and pellets. The stoppage of the plants follows the shutdown of two other Vale pellet plants at the port of Tubar�o since November 5, 2008. In addition, our joint venture Samarco Minera��o announced the stoppage until mid-January 2009 of two pellet plants. The plants currently being kept idled involve an overall total capacity of 29.3 million metric tons of pellets per year.
In light of the severe global recession and the uncertainties about the future, Vale will continue to manage its production in line with its assessment of market conditions prevailing in the short-term.
For further information, please contact:+55-21-3814-4540Roberto Castello Branco: roberto.castello.branco@vale.comAlessandra Gadelha: alessandra.gadelha@vale.comMarcus Thieme: marcus.thieme@vale.comPatricia Calazans: patricia.calazans@vale.comRoberta Coutinho: roberta.coutinho@vale.comTheo Penedo: theo.penedo@vale.comTacio Neto: tacio.neto@vale.com
This press release may include declarations that present Vale's expectations in relation to future events or results. All declarations, when based upon future expectations and not on historical facts involve various risks and uncertainties. Vale cannot guarantee that such declarations will come to be correct. These risks and uncertainties include factors related to the following: (a) countries where we operate, mainly Brazil and Canada; (b) global economy; (c) capital markets; (d) iron ore and nickel businesses and their dependence upon the global steel industry, which is cyclical by nature; (e) high degree of global competition in the markets which Vale operates. To obtain further information on factors that may give origin to results different from those forecasted by Vale, please consult the reports filed with the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM), the Autorit� des March�s Financiers (AMF), and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the most recent Annual Report - Vale Form 20F and 6K forms.
Vale do Rio is a copper producing company based in .
Vale do Rio produces copper, aluminum, bauxite, iron, manganese, nickel and silica in Brazil, develops coal and copper in Australia and in Brazil, and holds various exploration projects in Brazil and in Peru.
Its main assets in production are ALUNORTE, URUCUM MINE, MILTONIA 3, MORRO DA MINA, TAQUARI - VASSOURAS, SOSSEGO MINE, CAPAO XAVIER, CARAJAS, ANDRADE, SAMARCO, CONCEIÇÃO, MINAS DO MIEO, AGUA LIMPIA / CURURU, GONGO SOCO, BRUCUTU, BAU, FABRICA NOVA, FAZENDAO, TIMBOPEDA, CORREGO DO FEIJAO, SEGREDO/JOAO PEREIRA, PICO/SAPECADO/GALINHEIRO, VARGEM GRANDE COMPLEX TAMANDUA, CAPITAO DO MATO, ABOBORAS, PARAOPEBA COMPLEX JANGADA, SERRA NORTE - N4W, SERRA NORTE - N4E, SERRA NORTE - N5-W, SERRA NORTE - N5E, SERRA NORTE - N5E-N, SERRA NORTE - N5S, SERRA LESTE, MILTONIA 5 and MRN (BAUXITE MINING) in Brazil, its main assets in development are BELVEDERE in Australia and SALOBO PROJECT in Brazil and its main exploration properties are SALOBO, MAR AZUL MINE, ONÇA PUMA, PROJECT 118 and VERMELHO in Brazil and CORDILLERA DE LAS MINAS in Peru.