In
the twenty odd years since 1920, there were but four years in which
there were exports of gold officially recorded, being those from 1930
to 1934. In 1930, the shipments totalled 3,230 kilograms while in the
subsequent years they were 4,238 kilos, 3,862 kilos and 3,773 kilos.
Imports in one form or another have continued and in the 1920-9
period, they averaged 31 kilos annually while in the 1930-4 period they
totalled but 15 kilos, about one-half of that of the previous period.
The 1935-9 average shows an increase being 25 kilograms. In 1940, the
total was 197 kilograms. Imports of gold leaf and other manufactures oi
gold totalled 21 kilograms, that of the former being 7 kilos and the
latter 14 kilos.
The
prices of gold ore vary considerably some of the more important
deposits receiving the following mine prices in 1940: Minas Gerais:
Morro Ve-Iho — 104 milreis, Raposo — 80 milreis, Faria — 114 milreis,
Bicalho — 88 milreis, Cuiaba — 88 milreis, Passagem — 44 milreis,
Santana — 64 milreis, Juca Vieira — 40 milreis, Cutao — 20 milreis,
Andaime — 24 milreis, Onca — .24 milreis, Brumado — 12 milreis,
Parana-. Timbotuva — 32 milreis, Santo Inacio — 48 milreis, Perraria —
80 milreis; Rio Grande do Sul: Boa Vista —> 20 milreis, Cerro Rico — 96 milreis, Saraiva — 80 milreis, and Cerrito — 64 milreis.
The
gold itself is valued at 8 milreis per gram per metric ton of ore while
the official price of fine gold was set at 24.0 milreis and the
comercial price 24.2 milreis in 1940. These market prices compare with
official price of 23.9 milreis and the commercial price of 23.6
milreis in 1939. Imported gold averaged 19.9 milreis per gram (GIF
Brazil) in 1940 while in 1939, this was 19.8 milreis.
13. IRON AND STEEL
According
to a recent estimate of the iron ore reserves of the world the United
States was noted as having ten and a half billion tons of reserves with
a metal content varying from 35% to 50%, France is estimated as having
8 billion tons with a metal content of 25% to 30%, while England has
less1 than 6 billion. Sweden and Russia possess a little
more than 2 billions, India less than three a half billion and Cuba,
more than three billions. It is interesting to note that the ore of
India has a content which varies from 55% to 60%. Brazil possesses
about 22% of the total known reserves of the world.
Studies
of Luciano Jacques de Morais, Octavio Barbosa and Fernando Lacourt,
place the total of the principal reserves of the state of Minas Gerais
at 15,000,000,000 tons, the largest region of occurrence being that of
Itatiaiussu which stretches to Pico Belo Horizonte and has more than
3,200,000,000 tons of reserves. The reserve in the Itambe-Morro do
Pilar deposit is estimated to con-tain 3,000,000,000 tons while that of
Santa Rita Durao and Pitangui is said to have about 1,500,000,000 tons.
Others of primary importance are Sao Vicente -Sao Goncalo with
1,400,000,000 tons and Burnier-Ouro Preto, Mutuca-Morro Grande and
Morro Agudo-Monlevade with 1,000,000,000 tons each.
