​Vale informs that a fire occurred on January 14th in one of the eight ship loaders at the Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal (PDM), in São Luís, Maranhão. The fire was controlled, without casualties or environmental damage. The affected site is under assessment and the causes of the incident are under investigation.

PDM has a nominal shipping capacity of 230 Mtpy and a total of three piers, five berths and eight ship loaders. The incident occurred with ship loader 6 (CN6), at the Southern berth of Pier IV (P4S). The P4S has a second ship loader (CN7), which was not affected. The Company expects to resume shipping activities at P4S in the next few days with CN7.

There will be no impact on the monthly iron ore shipment schedule, due to: (i) the Northern System production seasonality, due to the rainy season in the North of Brazil, and (ii) the Northern System expected production for 2021, below the shipping capacity of 230 Mtpy.

Vale expects to conclude the CN6 maintenance activities in the first half of 2021, therefore without impacts on shipments and production in 2021.