Brazil's total iron ore exports in July rose 5% to 31.1 million mt, from 29.6 million mt in the year-ago period, according to the latest Brazil Ministry of Foreign Trade data.

However, total revenue generated from iron ore exports dipped 18% year over year to $2.1 billion FOB from $2.6 billion FOB, with the average per-ton price also dropping to $70.10/mt FOB from $89.80/mt FOB.

Comparing July's data to June's results, shipments last month rose 5.5% from 29.5 million mt in June, while overall export sales fell at the same rate, from $2.3 billion FOB in exports in June.

July's average iron ore price was down $8.10 from June's $78.20/mt FOB.

Breaking down exports by companies -- using consolidated June data from iron and base metals extraction industry group Sinferbase -- Vale, Samarco and MMX combined shipped 28.7 million mt of iron ore products during the month, 8% above the 26.6 million mt shipped in June 2013.

Vale's domestic shipments in June grew 5% year over year, to 1.8 million mt, while Samarco, the 50:50 joint venture between Vale and BHP Billiton, didn't sell to the domestic market during the month.

Vale and its subsidiaries increased exports in June by 6%, to 23.9 million mt, while Samarco's shipments jumped 50%, to 1.6 million mt.

MMX reduced its domestic shipments in June by more than 40% to 191,000 mt, from 321,000 mt in the year-ago period. A sharp reduction also occurred in the miner's exports, which plunged 56% in June from 381,000 mt a year ago.