Brazil should not join the alliance proposed by the United States on critical minerals

The Brazilian government should not join the alliance announced this week by the United States on critical minerals and rare earths. 🔍Critical and strategic minerals are those that play a central role in the economy of the present and future. They are used, for example, in cutting-edge technology, in chips for cell phones and computers and in the energy transition. The topic will be discussed at the meeting being arranged between presidents Lula and Donald Trump, in March at the White House. In the Brazilian government’s opinion, the refusal will not undermine the good relationship built between the two heads of state. On Wednesday (4), the American government called 54 countries, plus the European Union, to a meeting. See the videos that are trending on g1 Brazil sent a diplomat to participate in the meeting. At the meeting, the US revealed that it wants to create a trading bloc to control the production, refining and prices of these minerals and take market dominance away from China. A source from Palácio do Planalto says that the fact that Brazil sent, at the meeting held on Wednesday (4), a low-level diplomat, stationed at the Brazilian embassy in the USA, was already a clear response that it will not adhere to the US pact. Brazil, according to this member of the government, participated in the meeting mainly to learn about the idea and follow the speeches on the topic. Internally, the assessment at Palácio do Planalto is that the idea proposed by the USA to around 50 countries – including Brazil – is a “straightjacket” and aims to serve only US interests. Brazil owns the second largest reserves of critical minerals and rare earths in the world, behind only China. The Lula government wants to dominate the processing cycle. Therefore, it understands that there is no interest in becoming a supplier of raw materials or reserves for when the American government wants to explore. The Brazilian government’s caution aims to avoid repeating practices involving other types of raw materials in which the country exported without processing and without adding value. The US plan clashes with Brazil’s pursuit of a strategy of universality in dealing with the issue in the search for partners. Brazil, according to sources, remains willing to negotiate not only with the USA, but also with the European Union, China and India. However, initially, negotiations will take place bilaterally. The topic should be addressed during Lula’s next international trips to India and South Korea, scheduled for this month. Lula and Trump in a meeting in Malaysia in 2025 Ricardo Stuckert/PR

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