United States
                       Securities and Exchange Commission
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 6-K

                        Report of Foreign Private Issuer
                        Pursuant To Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
                                     of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                          For the month of August 2002


                        Valley of the Doce River Company
                 (Translation of Registrant's name into English)



                          Avenida Graca Aranha, No. 26
                      20005-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
                     (Address of principal executive office)



(Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports
under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.)

                    (Check One) Form 20-F  X  Form 40-F
                                          ---           ---


(Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing information to the Commission
pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.)

                         (Check One) Yes     No   X
                                         ---     ---

(If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant
in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b). 82-___.)



This current report on Form 6-K is hereby incorporated by reference into the
Registration Statement on Form F-4 of Companhia Vale do Rio Doce and Vale
Overseas Limited, File No. 333-84696.



Companhia Vale do Rio Doce Logo                                    Press Release



                         End of the Notes Exchange Offer

Rio de Janeiro, August 21, 2002 - Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) informs that
its wholly owned subsidiary Vale Overseas Limited (Vale Overseas) has exchanged,
upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Prospectus dated
July 17, 2002 and the accompanying Letter of Transmittal (which together
constitute the Exchange Offer) US$ 279,262,000 principal amount of its 8.625%
Enhanced Guaranteed Notes Due 2007, registered under the United States
Securities Act of 1933 (the New Securities) for an equal principal amount of its
unregistered US$ 300,000,000 8.625% Enhanced Guaranteed Notes Due 2007 (the Old
Securities). An aggregate principal amount of US$ 279,262,000 of the New
Securities was issued on August 21, 2002. US$ 20,738,000 principal amount of the
Old Securities remain outstanding. The New Securities were issued, and the
global exchange security deposited with the Depository Trust Company, on August
21, 2002, with CUSIP Number 91911TAB9. The New Securities have been accepted for
clearance through Clearstream and Euroclear (ISIN Number US91911TAB98 and Common
Code Number 015234890). Application has been made to list the New Securities on
the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                        For further information, please contact:
           Roberto Castello Branco: castello.branco@cvrd.com.br +55-21-3814-4540
                         Andreia Reis: andreia.reis@cvrd.com.br +55-21-3814-4643
                     Barbara Geluda: barbara.geluda@cvrd.com.br +55-21-3814-4557
                     Daniela Tinoco: daniela.tinoco@cvrd.com.br +55-21-3814-4946
                     Rafael Azevedo: rafael.azevedo@cvrd.com.br +55-21-3814-4700


This press release may contain statements that express management's expectations
about future events or results rather than historical facts. These
forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking
statements, and CVRD cannot give assurance that such statements will prove
correct. These risks and uncertainties include factors: relating to the
Brazilian economy and securities markets, which exhibit volatility and can be
adversely affected by developments in other countries; relating to the iron ore
business and its dependence on the global steel industry, which is cyclical in
nature; and relating to the highly competitive industries in which CVRD
operates. For additional information on factors that could cause CVRD's actual
results to differ from expectations reflected in forward-looking statements,
please see CVRD's reports filed with the Brazilian Comissao de Valores
Mobiliarios and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.



                                   SIGNATURES




Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

                                             COMPANHIA VALE DO RIO DOCE
                                                   (Registrant)


Date:  August 22, 2002

                                             By: /s/ Fabio de Oliveira Barbosa
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                   Fabio de Oliveira Barbosa
                                                   Chief Financial Officer