ANTT nears review of Vale's rail deal of up to BRL 11 billion

Brazil's National Land Transport Agency expects to conclude soon its technical review of the agreement between the federal government and Vale to renegotiate the company's rail contracts. On Thursday, 17 September, ANTT director-general Guilherme Sampaio stated that the main guidelines of the negotiation between the Ministry of Transport and the miner have already been defined.

The negotiation involves amending Vale's concession contracts for the Estrada de Ferro Carajás and the Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas. The government estimates that the new deal could require a total outlay of about BRL 11 billion from the miner, which includes amounts already paid previously. ANTT expects to conclude the entire negotiation this year before submitting the understanding to the Federal Court of Accounts.

A key point of discussion remains the construction of the Fico railway, which was already an issue during the early renewal in 2020. In early 2026, Vale discussed returning a stretch of roughly 100 kilometres between Água Boa and Cocalinho in Mato Grosso due to environmental restrictions. However, the federal government insists the construction must remain as part of the compensation package.