Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
5 min of reading 
9 comments 
The Country Exports Almost Its Entire Potential in Rare Earths as Raw Material, While Other Nations Profit from Transformation.
Much of the elements found in Brazilian territory is exported as raw commodity, without undergoing beneficiation or transformation processes. In other words: the country delivers the resource and loses value in the global market.
In practice, Brazil sells cheap and buys expensive. It exports pure minerals and imports back industrialized products, ready for use, with high added value.
This limits the gains of the Brazilian economy and compromises its position in the global value chain.
-
Brazilian city becomes a global destination after attracting tourists who travel up to 10,000 km to visit a sanctuary with 11 giant saints up to 10 meters tall, open 24 hours and located along a highway in SP.
-
JBL Flip Essential 3 SE is launched with 30W of power (20W + 10W), Bluetooth 5.4, Auracast for multiple connections, IP67 water and dust resistance, up to 12 hours of battery life, and a price of approximately R$ 660 in China.
-
After ten days orbiting the Moon, science confirms that the astronauts of the Artemis II mission return with altered bodies.
-
Pernambuco paradise with 59% of preserved area advances with R$ 2 billion in e-methanol, aims for 900 tons/day, grows 38.6% and builds electrified terminal of 400 thousand TEUs.
These elements — known as rare earths — are the foundation of the high-tech economy.
They are present in wind turbines, electric car batteries, cell phones, precision weapons, medical devices, satellites, and military systems.
Today, they are considered a strategic asset, compared to what oil was in the last century.
Despite this, Brazil has yet to transform its geological potential into industrial prominence.
The second largest reserve in the world is in Brazilian soil, with about 21 million tons, according to the United States Geological Survey. Only China has more.
The problem is that Brazil still depends on other countries to process the ores. Most of the national production leaves the country in natura, without undergoing refinement.
As a result, all added value is transferred abroad — an old pattern that now repeats itself with the most strategic elements of the new economy.
China’s Dominance and Global Dispute
Today, China accounts for 80% of the production and refining of rare earths used by the American industry.
Moreover, it dominates the know-how of the chemical separation process of the elements. This monopoly has led the country to use rare earths as a geopolitical piece in trade disputes with the United States.
During the Trump administration, the Americans imposed tariffs on Chinese products. China’s response included blocking the export of rare minerals.
The measure had a direct impact on the production chain of automotive manufacturers, electronics industries, and defense companies in the U.S.
In the face of the crisis, the United States negotiated an agreement with China. The tariffs were partially reduced, and the export of magnets and rare elements was resumed — but for only six months.
The Chinese government did not officially confirm the terms, maintaining control over the details.
This episode showed that rare earths have become more than an industrial resource: they are tools of diplomatic power and global influence.
Brazil and Its Privileged Position
With the second largest global reserve, Brazil could play a significant role in this dispute. But for that, it needs to overcome a historical bottleneck: the absence of a complete production chain.
Today, the country remains a supplier of raw materials.
The New Frontier is in the Amazon
Studies indicate that the Amazon has a high concentration of rare earths, especially in the forest’s subsoil.
This data places Brazil under the radar of international interests. Companies and governments are closely monitoring Brazil’s potential — and not just for its biodiversity.
The underground layer of the forest holds elements such as thorium, niobium, cobalt, and lanthanum. In times of energy transition and green reindustrialization, these minerals gain strategic value.
But Brazil still needs to define clear rules for exploration, considering environmental, social, and technological aspects.
The risk is high: allowing extraction without control or adequate returns may repeat the same mistakes of the past.
Agreement with Ukraine Reinforces the Race
A recent example of the global dispute for strategic minerals was the agreement reached between the United States and Ukraine.
The pact provides for the exploration of resources such as rare earths, iron, lithium, titanium, uranium, and coal on Ukrainian soil.
Much of these reserves are in regions affected by the war with Russia.
The agreement has also been interpreted as a way for Ukraine to repay the military and financial support it has received from the U.S. since the beginning of the conflict.
This move shows that rare earths are seen as a geopolitical asset, not just an economic resource.
Chinese Control Remains Strong
The China holds practically all the patents for the separation and purification process of rare earths. This creates a structural dependency.
Even countries with large reserves, such as Brazil, cannot fully compete without access to this technology.
Therefore, Chinese dominance remains an obstacle to any attempt to decentralize the sector.
If Brazil wants to break this cycle, it needs to invest in research, industrial development, and technological sovereignty.
The Risk of Losing Once Again
The current model is unsustainable. The country cannot continue exporting strategic resources as commodities while importing industrialized products with much greater value.
Rare earths are the new oil — but only for those who know how to take advantage of them. And so far, Brazil has not yet moved past the first phase of the game.
If the country does not advance in industrial transformation, it runs the risk of being once again a mere supplier of raw materials in an increasingly technology- and clean energy-dependent world.
The Warning from Sergio Sacani
At the end of one of his podcasts, the science communicator Sergio Sacani summed up the challenge clearly: “This is what will rule the world.”
For him, whoever dominates rare earths, dominates the future. But he warned that Brazil still does not understand the extent of what it holds.
He pointed out that the Amazon has a significant amount of these elements, and that the country needs to make quick and strategic decisions. “We are sitting on a treasure, but we continue to act as if it were any common mineral,” he concluded.
Time is running out. And Brazil needs to decide: will it continue exporting raw wealth or finally transform it into power, technology, and development?
O IMPORTANTE PARA O BRASILEIRO É Q TEMOS CARNAVAL, , ONLYFANS, BOLSA-FAMILIA DE ATÉ 1200 REAIS, CESTAS BÁSICAS, INSTAGRAN , CACHAÇA , CERVEJA EMACONHA LIBERADA ATÉ 40 GRAMAS. E O BRASILEIRO VOLTOU A COMER PICANHA! VIVA O L!
INFELIZMENTE, É A BOIADA DE UM LADO E AS MULAS DO OUTRO, PUXANDO O CABO DE GUERRA, E O NOSSO PAÍS NUNCA SAI DO ETERNO ATRASO.
E O POVO NUNCA TOMA UMA ATITUDE PARA FAZER A VERDADEIRA MUDANÇA DO PAÍS.
O Brasil tem que investir é em Educação, Ciencia e Tecnologia para tirar nosso país do atraso de 5 séculos.
Ninguém vai querer teansferir tecnologia para nenhum país, principalmente com os maiores potenciais em tudo q se imagina em diversos produtos como o Brasil em Terras Raras, Nióbio, Petróleo, Soja, Carnes em Geral, Energias em Geral, Terras Agricultáveis, enfim, tudo neste país dá, e em abundância,como na carta de Pero Vaz de Caminha há + de 5 séculos.
Só no caso do Nióbio, q praticamente só o Brasil tem, ainda vendemos o produto quase de graça para depois voltar com preço elevado depois de beneficiado.
Pelo fato de ninguém querer repassar tecnologia e conhecimento para os outros, temos uma boa oportunidade agora junto à China de repassar ao Brasil através de acordos de tranf de tecnologias em vários setores como telecomunicações, IA, etc. Enfim, em todas as áreas de importância tecnológicas.
Mas para isto temos q fazer nossa parte, investindo em Educação. Sem educação não vamos avançar em nada. Não vamos nem saber operar as máquinas.
No Brasil, só se investe no Bolsa Familia. São bilhões e bilhões q poderia se investir em Educação de Qualidade, mas, só se investe em bolsões de pobreza e a cada dia o povo mais atrasado.
Infelizmente é a boiada de um lado e as mulas do outro, puxando o cabo de guerra , e o país a cada dia se afundando mais e não saímos deste marasmo. Triste nossa realidade.
O Bolsonaro ia ganhar dinheiro com o nióbio e foi só conversa fiada de quem sabe enrolar.
O bolsa família não chega nem aos pés do bolsa rico.
Falta no Brasil é gente que não pense em criticar uns aos outros e sim trabalhar em conjunto pra melhorar o país.