Marubeni and Hitachi Construction Machinery have set up a JV, ZAMine Service Brasil, to engage in mining equipment sales and maintenance services in Brazil.

This move is set to capitalise on the growing demand for mining equipment in the region.

The alliance between Marubeni and Hitachi Construction Machinery dates back to the 1970s, with similar joint initiatives in Australia and Ukraine.

Marubeni’s subsidiaries and affiliated companies have also been distributing Hitachi’s mining equipment across Latin America.

The new venture, ZAMine Brasil, will take over the operations previously managed by Marubeni Brasil.

ZAMine Brasil offers a comprehensive platform for products and services, leveraging Marubeni’s business management expertise and customer networks along with Hitachi Construction Machinery’s advanced technological capabilities.

The aim is to meet the diverse requirements of clients in the Brazilian mining sector.

ZAMine Brasil’s establishment is a strategic move by Marubeni to bolster its sales and service structure in the Brazilian market.

The company is committed to contributing to Brazil’s development by harnessing the collective experience and capabilities of both Marubeni and Hitachi Construction Machinery.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Group is restructuring its mining business in South America, including Brazil. The move is aimed at generating sales revenue of Y300bn or more from full-scale independent business in the Americas in fiscal year 2025.

In July 2023, Hudbay Minerals and Marubeni sealed a memorandum of understanding for an exploration partnership related to the former’s existing processing facilities in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada.

The agreement contemplated Marubeni financing between $10m and $15m in exploration expenditures on the project properties, with Hudbay acting as operator and conducting exploration work.