Brazil Rejects Proposal to Establish a State-Owned Critical Minerals Company, Stalling U.S. Agreement

Time:2026-04-27

西政府明确表示不会设立国家级关键矿产公司,在政策框架迟迟未落地背景下,与美国的矿产合作推进面临不确定性。巴西工业部长Marcio Elias Rosa称,没有必要成立国有企业参与关键矿产开发与加工,现行监管体系已具备吸引投资的激励机制。该表态直接否定了此前被称为“TerraBras”的国资平台设想。

  The Brazilian government has explicitly stated that it will not establish a national-level critical minerals corporation; with the policy framework still迟迟未落地, progress in mineral cooperation with the United States faces considerable uncertainty.
 

  Brazilian Industry Minister Marcio Elias Rosa stated that there is no need to establish a state-owned enterprise to participate in the development and processing of critical minerals, as the existing regulatory framework already includes incentive mechanisms to attract investment. This statement directly refutes the previously proposed state-backed platform known as “TerraBras.”
 

  At present, Brazil’s national framework for critical minerals is still under consideration in Congress. A related bill proposes the establishment of a fund with up to 5 billion reais (approximately US$1 billion) to support mining projects; however, certain provisions have sparked controversy due to their potential to expand state intervention.
 

  Finance Minister Dario Durigan stated that future policies will prioritize resource sovereignty and the development of domestic value chains, rather than relying on large-scale tax incentives, and believes that global demand is already sufficient to attract investment in this sector.
 

  Despite ongoing policy uncertainty, project investment continues to move forward; however, capital allocation has become more cautious, particularly in downstream processing. Market participants note that clearer signals on approval processes, financing, and the government’s role would help attract greater levels of capital.
 

  While progress at the federal level has been limited, local-level cooperation continues to advance. The state of Goiás is currently working with U.S. partners on a memorandum of understanding related to the Serra Verde rare-earth project, which has already secured a $565 million loan from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and is the subject of a $2.8 billion acquisition deal.
 

  Analysts say the aforementioned transactions will help enhance Brazil’s position in the diversification of global supply chains; however, without a unified national strategy, it will be difficult to establish a complete industrial value chain.
 

  Brazil, endowed with abundant rare-earth resources, is advancing the development of domestic processing capabilities while maintaining a flexible cooperation strategy between the United States and China. However, amid a backlog of pending legislation and fragmented policy frameworks, the pace of investment may be constrained, potentially causing Brazil to miss the window of opportunity presented by the global surge in demand for critical minerals.

Keywords: Brazil Rejects Proposal to Establish a State-Owned Critical Minerals Company, Stalling U.S. Agreement

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