Brazilian mining giant Vale SA (VALE, VALE5.BR) was Brazil's top exporter in 2011 for a second consecutive year, according to data released Wednesday by the country's trade ministry.

With export sales growth of 44%, Vale sold $34.65 billion of goods abroad last year to account for 13.53% of the country's exports.

Brazil's state-controlled oil company Petrobras (PETR4.BR, PBR) was the second largest exporter, selling $22.91 billion abroad, or 8.95% of the country's total.

International agrobusiness giant Bunge (BG) took third place in the ranking with $6.54 billion in exports, or 2.55% of the total.

Vale, meanwhile, also had a hand in the fourth-place ranking as Samarco Mineracao, its joint holding with BHP Billiton (BHP), sold $4.22 billion abroad to account for 1.65% of the country's overseas sales.

Brazilian manufacturing took a consolation prize on the ranking, as aircraft manufacturer Embraer (ERJ, EMBR3.BR) got the fifth-place position with $4.21 billion in exports, or 1.64% of the total sold abroad.

Rounding out the remaining positions among the top 10 exporters were Cargill Agricola, ADM do Brasil, Braskem (BRKM5.BR), Sadia (BRFS, BRFS3.BR), and Louis Dreyfus Commodities Brasil.

Brazil in 2011 posted a foreign trade surplus of $29.8 billion, based on total exports of $256 billion and imports of $226.2 billion.

-By Gerald Jeffris, Dow Jones Newswires; (5561) 9162-7863, gerald.jeffris@dowjones.com