Brazil approves its first list of 27 critical and strategic minerals, with rare earths and graphite in the top tier
The list decides which minerals get state support, and which deals Brasília can screen. Rules on foreign investment are expected in early 2027.
What happened
Brazil's National Council for the Industrialization of Critical and Strategic Minerals (CIMCE) met for the first time at the Planalto Palace on 5 November, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva present, and approved 27 minerals in three priority tiers, according to Valor International. The selection follows Decree No. 13,146/2026, published on 4 November, which set the criteria for defining the list, according to law firm Lefosse.
Tier 1 (high priority, nine minerals): rare earths, graphite, lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, silicon and uranium. These get the highest priority for public support programmes and are subject to screening of changes in corporate control and sales contracts. Tier 2 (medium, eight minerals): tungsten, chromium, vanadium, tantalum, titanium, phosphate, potassium and sulfur. These face both screening mechanisms but rank lower for funding. Tier 3 (low, ten minerals): niobium, tin, iron, zinc, gold, magnesium, molybdenum, thorium, aluminium and platinum-group metals. For these, only changes in corporate control are screened. Chief of Staff Miriam Belchior said the list is preliminary and may be revised.
Our take
This is as much an investment-screening list as an industrial one. Putting rare earths, graphite and nickel in Tier 1 means changes in control of projects and their supply contracts can be reviewed by the state. Reuters reported that council members said the body will prioritise processing rare earths in Brazil rather than exporting them as raw material.
The rules that matter are not written yet. Reuters quoted a council member saying regulations should come in the first few months of 2027. Until then, foreign buyers and partners of Brazilian projects face uncertainty over what will need approval.
Why it matters for AI infrastructure
Tier 1 includes the magnet, battery and silicon inputs behind data-centre cooling, backup power and chips. Reuters reported that US hopes of quick access to Brazil's rare earths have been dashed, and the new screening powers mean offtake deals may now need government sign-off.
If the policy succeeds in building processing in Brazil, it would add separation and refining capacity outside China. If approvals are slow, it could delay supply that Western buyers had counted on.
What we're watching
- CIMCE's second meeting, expected in late November, which is due to set screening criteria
- The industry ministry's proposal on priority production chains, due within 15 days
- Which transactions require CIMCE approval, especially those involving foreign state-linked buyers
- Whether rare earth projects with US or Chinese partners face new conditions
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