By Jeffrey T. Lewis


SÃO PAULO--Brazilian mining giant Vale SA said its output of iron ore increased in the third quarter compared with the previous three months and with the third quarter of 2021.

Iron ore output rose 1.1% in the third quarter from a year earlier to 89.7 million metric tons and jumped 21.0% from the second quarter of this year, Vale said Monday in its quarterly production report. Production of iron ore pellets, a premium product, fell 1.0% from the third quarter of 2021 to 8.3 million metric tons, and fell 4.8% from the second quarter, Vale said.

The start of the dry season in Brazil's north boosted output from the previous quarter, as did purchases from other miners, Vale said in the report. Sales of pellets in the quarter were greater than production, with the difference being made up by stocks in transit, according to the company.

Sales of iron ore rose 3.5% in the third quarter from a year earlier to 69.0 million tons and rose 7.4% from the second quarter of this year. Sales of pellets rose 6.0% from the year-earlier period to 8.5 million tons and fell 3.6% compared with the second quarter.


Write to Jeffrey T. Lewis at jeffrey.lewis@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

10-17-22 1827ET