Brazil's iron ore giant Vale beat production record in 2015

Brazilian mining company Vale, the world's largest producer and exporter of iron, announced Thursday that it has broken its own production record in 2015.

In a press release, Vale said it has produced 345.9 million tons of minerals, 4.3 percent more than the 331.6 million tons registered in 2014.

However, it was not achieved only by the production of iron. The production of iron pellets, nickel, copper, cobalt and gold also broke the company's previous record.

The new record followed a long-time drop of international oil prices and lower overseas demand, which has affected the company's revenues.

In 2015, Vale exported 303.6 million tons of iron, 18.9 percent more than that of 2014, establishing the company's position as Brazil's primary exporter of minerals.

However, the mining company is confident that it will overcome the adverse impact of low prices by making its production more profitable with lower costs.

To achieve the goal, Vale will focus on the mine of Carajas in the Brazilian Amazon, whose production rose 9.9 percent to 129.6 million tons last year. Endi