BRAZIL · CRITICAL MINERALS
Key Facts
- What happened On 5 November a new Brazilian council approved an official list of 27 critical minerals in three tiers.
- Top tier Rare earths, graphite, lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, silicon and uranium rank highest.
- Why it matters Only projects in listed minerals can receive state financing, guarantees and tax incentives under the new policy.
- The money A mining guarantee fund can receive up to R$2 billion (US$366 million) from the federal government.
- Next step The Industry Ministry has 15 days to propose priority production chains for the council.
- Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 74.2 points (November 2026 edition).
Brazil ranked 27 critical minerals in three priority tiers on Thursday 5 November, putting rare earths, graphite, lithium and nickel at the top. The list decides which mining and processing projects can receive state support.
A new council attached to the presidency approved the list at its first full meeting, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva present. Brazil wants to stop shipping raw ore and build its own battery and magnet industry.
What Brazil Decided on Thursday
The National Council for the Industrialization of Critical and Strategic Minerals, known as CIMCE, approved the official list at its first plenary meeting. The council was created by a mining law signed in September and sits under the presidency.
The list rests on five tests: geopolitical risk, concentration of world supply, ease of substitution, Brazil’s place in the supply chain, and its import dependence. The council can update the list at later meetings.
The Three Tiers From Top to Bottom
Class I, high priority, covers rare earths, graphite, lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, silicon and uranium. Class II, medium priority, covers tungsten, chromium, vanadium, tantalum, titanium, phosphate, potash and sulfur.
Class III, low priority, covers niobium, tin, iron, zinc, gold, magnesium, molybdenum, thorium, aluminium and the platinum group metals. Class III minerals get monitoring and periodic review rather than priority state action.
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Why the List Controls the Money
Only projects focused on these 27 minerals and entered in a national project registry can receive government support. Being listed also switches on a review of large investments and company takeovers in the sector.
The policy creates a mining guarantee fund that can receive up to R$2 billion (about US$366 million) from the federal government. The conversion uses R$5.4621 per US$1.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
Alexandre Silveira is the Mines and Energy Minister, and he said the policy will end Brazil’s role as a mere exporter of raw materials. Márcio Elias Rosa runs the Development, Industry, Trade and Services Ministry, which now drafts the plan for priority supply chains.
The national critical minerals policy is the law Lula signed on 16 September, which sets incentives from the mine to the factory. The mining guarantee fund is a state-backed pool meant to share risk with banks that lend to early-stage mining projects.
What It Means for You
US makers of EV batteries, magnets and electronics rely on lithium, graphite, nickel and rare earths, and Brazil now says where it will push output. Foreign investors, including US firms, must fit their projects into the council’s review.
The council must approve large foreign stakes in companies that hold rights to these minerals, under the September implementing decree. Investors in Brazilian miners should read the tier of each mineral as a signal of where state money will flow first.
What Is Not Known
Which projects will get guarantees and credit first, and in what amounts, is not yet public. The Development, Industry, Trade and Services Ministry is due to bring a proposal on priority production chains to the council within 15 days.
Whether more minerals will join the list depends on future council meetings. The Mines and Energy Ministry makes the proposals and can say when it will bring new ones.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which minerals are in Brazil’s top priority tier?
Class I covers rare earths, graphite, lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, silicon and uranium. These get the first call on state support.
Who approved the list and when?
The National Council for the Industrialization of Critical and Strategic Minerals approved it on Thursday 5 November. President Lula attended the meeting.
Why does the list matter to investors?
Only projects in the 27 listed minerals can receive government financing and tax incentives. Being listed also triggers review of large foreign stakes and takeovers.
Can the list change?
Yes, the council can update it at future meetings. The Mines and Energy Ministry proposes any additions.
Sources: Ministry of Mines and Energy, release on the council’s list of critical and strategic minerals, 5 November 2026; Civil House of the Presidency, release on the approved list, 5 November 2026; Decree 13.118 on the council’s powers, 16 September 2026; Banco Central do Brasil, PTAX exchange rate, 5 November 2026.
This article was drafted with automated assistance and reviewed before publication. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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