If you're picturing Brazil's economic powerhouse, look beyond just minerals – Minas Gerais is a diversified industrial titan, driving nearly half of the nation's iron ore, a majority of its gold, and fueling massive sectors from steel and autos to food processing and pharmaceuticals, all while supporting millions of jobs.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Minas Gerais accounted for 40.5% of Brazil's iron ore production with 277.8 million metric tons extracted
- Gold production in Minas Gerais reached 51 tons in 2022, representing 55% of national output
- Bauxite output from Minas Gerais mines totaled 12.4 million tons in 2021
- Minas Gerais mining industry employed 142,000 direct workers in 2022
- Steel sector jobs in MG totaled 85,000 in 2023
- Automotive industry employed 120,000 workers in Minas Gerais in 2022
- Iron ore exports from MG ports reached 200 million tons valued at US$22 billion in 2022
- Steel products exports from Minas Gerais were US$4.2 billion in 2022
- Coffee exports processed in MG totaled US$2.1 billion in 2022
- Total industrial revenue in Minas Gerais reached R$850 billion in 2022
- Mining sector revenue was R$250 billion in MG 2022
- Steel industry revenue totaled R$120 billion in 2022
- Steel plant capacity in MG is 20 million tons per year
- Vale's iron ore pelletizing plants in MG have 50 million tpy capacity
- Usiminas steel mill hot-rolled coil capacity 4.5 million tons annually
Minas Gerais is a major industrial and mining powerhouse within Brazil's economy.
Employment Statistics
- Minas Gerais mining industry employed 142,000 direct workers in 2022
- Steel sector jobs in MG totaled 85,000 in 2023
- Automotive industry employed 120,000 workers in Minas Gerais in 2022
- Food processing plants hired 250,000 employees in MG in 2022
- Chemical industry employment reached 45,000 jobs in 2022
- Cement factories employed 18,000 workers in Minas Gerais in 2023
- Machinery sector jobs numbered 95,000 in MG in 2022
- Textile industry employed 110,000 in Minas Gerais in 2022
- Metalworking jobs totaled 75,000 in 2022
- Dairy industry employment was 35,000 direct jobs in 2022
- Pharmaceutical sector had 22,000 employees in MG in 2022
- Paper industry jobs reached 15,000 in 2022
- Glass manufacturing employed 12,000 workers in 2023
- Tire production jobs totaled 28,000 in MG in 2022
- Furniture industry employment was 65,000 in 2022
- Plastics sector jobs numbered 40,000 in Minas Gerais 2022
- Electrical equipment industry employed 35,000 in 2022
- Footwear jobs reached 55,000 in MG in 2022
- Rubber products employment was 18,000 in 2022
- Total industrial employment in MG was 1.45 million in 2022
- Mining exports from Minas Gerais totaled US$28.5 billion in 2022
Employment Statistics Interpretation
While Minas Gerais digs deep for global treasure, it's clear the state's real gold is in its people, who are busily forging, feeding, and fabricating everything from steel to shoes to keep the local economy robustly fed.
Export Data
- Iron ore exports from MG ports reached 200 million tons valued at US$22 billion in 2022
- Steel products exports from Minas Gerais were US$4.2 billion in 2022
- Coffee exports processed in MG totaled US$2.1 billion in 2022
- Aluminum exports from MG were US$1.8 billion in 2022
- Dairy products exports reached US$450 million in 2022
- Meat exports from MG processors were US$1.2 billion in 2022
- Machinery exports totaled US$3.5 billion from MG in 2022
- Chemical products exports were US$2.8 billion in 2022
- Automotive parts exports reached US$1.9 billion in 2022
- Textiles and apparel exports from MG totaled US$650 million in 2022
- Cement exports were US$120 million in 2023
- Pharmaceuticals exports reached US$300 million in 2022
- Paper exports totaled US$400 million from MG in 2022
- Glass products exports were US$250 million in 2022
- Tires exports from MG factories US$800 million in 2022
- Furniture exports totaled US$550 million in 2022
- Plastics exports reached US$700 million in 2022
- Electrical equipment exports US$1.2 billion in 2022
- Footwear exports from MG US$180 million in 2022
- Iron ore mining investments in MG totaled R$15 billion in 2022
Export Data Interpretation
Forget the cheese and coffee stereotype—Minas Gerais’s economy is built on steel, chemicals, and machinery, fueled by a mountain of iron ore so vast it’s basically printing money.
Infrastructure and Capacity
- Steel plant capacity in MG is 20 million tons per year
- Vale's iron ore pelletizing plants in MG have 50 million tpy capacity
- Usiminas steel mill hot-rolled coil capacity 4.5 million tons annually
- Fiat Betim plant annual capacity 800,000 vehicles
- Cement kilns total capacity 35 million tons per year in MG
- Alcoa aluminum smelter capacity 460,000 tons p.a. in MG
- Hydroelectric plants capacity in MG industrial parks 5 GW
- Port of Tubarão handles 100 million tons iron ore annually for MG
- Railroad network for MG mining 1,500 km operational
- Industrial parks in MG cover 50,000 hectares with 5,000 companies
- Solar farms for industry total 2 GW installed in MG 2023
- Water treatment plants capacity 10 million m3/day for MG industry
- Gas pipeline network 3,000 km supplying MG steel mills
- Logistics terminals handle 150 million tons cargo yearly in MG
- Warehouses capacity 20 million m2 for MG manufacturing
- R&D centers in MG industry number 250 with 15,000 researchers
- Fiber optic network covers 90% of MG industrial zones
- Waste treatment facilities process 5 million tons industrial waste yearly
- Training centers by SENAI MG capacity 100,000 trainees annually
- Airport cargo capacity at Confins 500,000 tons per year for industry
Infrastructure and Capacity Interpretation
Minas Gerais is the industrial powerhouse that doesn't just build things, but forges the entire logistical, energetic, and intellectual backbone required to do it at a staggering, continent-shaking scale.
Investment and Revenue
- Total industrial revenue in Minas Gerais reached R$850 billion in 2022
- Mining sector revenue was R$250 billion in MG 2022
- Steel industry revenue totaled R$120 billion in 2022
- Automotive sector revenue R$180 billion in MG 2022
- Food industry revenue reached R$200 billion in 2022
- Chemical sector revenue R$95 billion in MG 2022
- Machinery revenue totaled R$65 billion in 2022
- Textiles revenue R$45 billion in Minas Gerais 2022
- Cement revenue R$28 billion in 2023
- Dairy revenue R$55 billion in 2022
- Pharmaceuticals revenue R$25 billion in MG 2022
- Paper revenue R$18 billion in 2022
- Glass revenue R$15 billion in 2022
- Tires revenue R$22 billion in MG 2022
- Furniture revenue R$12 billion in 2022
- Plastics revenue R$35 billion in 2022
- Electrical revenue R$40 billion in MG 2022
- Footwear revenue R$8 billion in 2022
- Rubber revenue R$10 billion in Minas Gerais 2022
- Total FDI in MG industry US$5.2 billion in 2022
- Mining investment R$20 billion announced for 2023-2027 in MG
Investment and Revenue Interpretation
Minas Gerais doesn't just mine the earth; it builds, feeds, fuels, and dresses the nation, proving its industrial might is as diversified and robust as a well-stocked Brazilian pantry.
Production Volumes
- In 2022, Minas Gerais accounted for 40.5% of Brazil's iron ore production with 277.8 million metric tons extracted
- Gold production in Minas Gerais reached 51 tons in 2022, representing 55% of national output
- Bauxite output from Minas Gerais mines totaled 12.4 million tons in 2021
- Phosphate production in Minas Gerais was 2.1 million tons in 2022, mainly from the Araxá complex
- Iron ore pellet production in Minas Gerais hit 48 million tons in 2023 from Vale's plants
- Manganese ore extraction in Minas Gerais amounted to 1.2 million tons in 2022
- Niobium production from Minas Gerais reached 95% of Brazil's total at 80,000 tons in 2022
- Zinc concentrate output was 150,000 tons from Vazante mine in 2021
- Diamond production in Minas Gerais totaled 0.3 million carats in 2022
- Copper ore production stood at 45,000 tons in Minas Gerais for 2022
- Steel crude production in Minas Gerais was 15.2 million tons in 2022, 25% of Brazil's total
- Cement production reached 28 million tons in Minas Gerais in 2023
- Aluminum primary production was 1.1 million tons from Alumar plant in 2022
- Automotive vehicles produced in Betim plant totaled 250,000 units in 2022 by Stellantis
- Dairy processing output in Minas Gerais was 2.8 billion liters of milk in 2022
- Coffee roasting and processing handled 1.2 million bags in 2023
- Sugar production from MG mills reached 1.5 million tons in 2022/23 harvest
- Meat processing plants in MG processed 1.2 million tons of beef in 2022
- Paper and cellulose production was 800,000 tons in 2022 from MG factories
- Chemical products output totaled 4.5 million tons in 2022
- Glass production reached 1.8 million tons from MG plants in 2023
- Tire manufacturing produced 25 million units in MG in 2022
- Pharmaceutical production value was R$12 billion in 2022
- Machinery and equipment output value reached R$45 billion in 2022
- Electrical equipment production was R$18 billion in value terms for 2022
- Textiles production totaled 450 million meters of fabric in 2022
- Footwear manufacturing produced 12 million pairs in MG in 2022
- Furniture output value was R$8.5 billion in 2022
- Plastics processing reached 2.1 million tons in 2022
- Rubber products manufacturing output was 450,000 tons in 2022
Production Volumes Interpretation
Minas Gerais, modestly known for its rolling hills and cheese, is actually an industrial colossus with one hand firmly grasping the nation's mineral wealth and the other deftly assembling everything from cars to coffee, proving it’s the beating economic heart—and incredibly well-stocked pantry—of Brazil.
Sources & References
- Reference 1IBRAMibram.org.brVisit source
- Reference 2GOVgov.brVisit source
- Reference 3IBGEibge.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 4ANManm.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 5VALEvale.comVisit source
- Reference 6CBMMcbmm.com.brVisit source
- Reference 7MILPOmilpo.com.brVisit source
- Reference 8INSTITUTODEACOMINERALOGIAinstitutodeacomineralogia.org.brVisit source
- Reference 9SNICsnic.org.brVisit source
- Reference 10ALCOAalcoa.comVisit source
- Reference 11STELLANTISstellantis.comVisit source
- Reference 12FIEMGfiemg.com.brVisit source
- Reference 13CONSECANAconsecana.com.brVisit source
- Reference 14ABIECabiec.com.brVisit source
- Reference 15ABIQabiq.com.brVisit source
- Reference 16ABRAVIDROabravidro.org.brVisit source
- Reference 17ANIPanip.org.brVisit source
- Reference 18INTERFARMAinterfarma.org.brVisit source
- Reference 19ABINEEabinee.org.brVisit source
- Reference 20ABITabit.org.brVisit source
- Reference 21ABICALCADOSabicalcados.com.brVisit source
- Reference 22MOVERGSmovergs.com.brVisit source
- Reference 23ABIPLASTabiplast.org.brVisit source
- Reference 24ANARUBBERanarubber.org.brVisit source
- Reference 25SINDIFERsindifer.org.brVisit source
- Reference 26GIROLANDOgirolando.com.brVisit source
- Reference 27FAPEMIGfapemig.org.brVisit source
- Reference 28COMEXSTATcomexstat.mdic.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 29CECAGEMGcecagemg.com.brVisit source
- Reference 30ABRACabrac.com.brVisit source
- Reference 31MDICmdic.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 32SINDAUTOsindauto.org.brVisit source
- Reference 33INDUSTRIAindustria.paperVisit source
- Reference 34USIMINASusiminas.comVisit source
- Reference 35ABIMAQabimaq.org.brVisit source
- Reference 36ITAMBEMGitambemg.com.brVisit source
- Reference 37INVESTMGinvestmg.comVisit source
- Reference 38CSNcsn.com.brVisit source
- Reference 39ANEELaneel.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 40VALEPARAvalepara.com.brVisit source
- Reference 41VLI-LOGISTICAvli-logistica.comVisit source
- Reference 42ABSOLARabsolar.org.brVisit source
- Reference 43COPASAcopasa.mg.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 44COMPAGAScompagas.com.brVisit source
- Reference 45LOG-INlog-in.com.brVisit source
- Reference 46FAPEMIGfapemig.brVisit source
- Reference 47OIoi.com.brVisit source
- Reference 48FEAMfeam.br.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 49MGmg.senai.brVisit source
- Reference 50BHAIRPORTbhairport.com.brVisit source