The United States Chargé d’Affaires in Brazil, Gabriel Escobarparticipates this Tuesday (28) in a series of meetings with mining companies operating in the country, in search of possible agreements in the area of critical and strategic minerals.
The information was confirmed to CNN by the diplomat himself, who described the meetings as “productive”, although he did not reveal the names of the companies involved.
Other meetings are planned for the afternoon, all held during the I will explainone of the main events in the mineral sector in Latin America, which brings together large companies in the sector, government representatives and political leaders.
The talks take place two days after the meeting between presidents Donald Trump and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
As reported by CNNa possible agreement for the safe supply of rare earths to the United States is a central topic in trade negotiations in the context of the “tariff” imposed by Washington.
The articulation gained even more strength after China restricted the export of these inputs.
Despite the resource being relatively well distributed across the planet, China dominates almost the entire production chain — from refining to the manufacture of high-value-added components.
Currently, around 60% of global mining takes place in Chinese territory.
The most worrying data, however, is processing: 91% of all global refining is done by Chinese companies, which also produce 94% of the permanent magnets used in turbines, engines and defense equipment.
The IEA (International Energy Agency) classified this concentration as a severe geopolitical risk, warning that Chinese dominance allows Beijing to influence prices, control access by competing countries and define the pace of advancement of strategic technologies, such as semiconductors, electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
For Washington, the issue is especially sensitive: US military and technological supremacy could be threatened if China increases control over inputs essential to the defense, artificial intelligence and clean energy sectors.
It is in this context that Brazil stands out.
The country has the second largest reserves of rare earths in the world, but still produces and refines almost nothing.
There is no specific regulatory framework for the sector, and the production chain is in its infancy. Even so, Western companies have already begun to acquire projects and carry out research and geological mapping in the national territory.
