RARE EARTHS
House passes framework regulating critical minerals
A niobium mine in Catalão, Goiás. Photo: ANM
Hours before President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva boarded a plane to Washington yesterday to meet with Donald Trump, Brazil's lower house approved a legal framework for critical minerals and rare earths — the elements powering nearly every smartphone, electric vehicle, missile guidance system and wind turbine on the planet.
👉 Why it matters. With China refining roughly 85% of the world's rare earths and the US scrambling for alternatives, Brazil — as the holder of the second-largest known reserves of rare earths and the world's largest niobium deposits — has spent months trying to figure out how to play the hand it was dealt, without giving any cards away.
The bill, approved Wednesday by symbolic vote and now sent to the Senate, creates a…
🔒 This was a free preview; the rest is behind our paywall
Don’t miss out! Upgrade to unlock full access. The process takes only seconds with Apple Pay or Stripe. Become a member.
Why you should subscribe
We’re here for readers who want to truly understand Brazil and Latin America — a region too often ignored or misrepresented by the international media.
Since 2017, our reporting has been powered by paid subscribers. They’re the reason we can keep a full-time team of journalists across Brazil and Argentina, delivering sharp, independent coverage every day.
If you value our work, subscribing is the best way to keep it going — and growing.
Interested in advertising with us? Get in touch.
Need a special report? We can do it.
Have an idea for an article or column? Pitch us
