Brazil designates 27 critical minerals for federal support

Brazil's council for critical and strategic minerals has approved a list of 27 minerals in three priority tiers, and only listed minerals in nationally registered projects will qualify for federal support under the new strategy.

Why it matters: Brazil holds large reserves of rare earths, lithium, graphite and niobium, and the list, backed by a new guarantee fund of up to R$2 billion, is its clearest move yet to build domestic processing instead of exporting ore and importing finished products.

Data as of November 8, 2026, 15:14 Toronto: Mining.com report of November 8, 2026, with files from Bloomberg, read in full via the estate browser route, for the council's November 5 approval, the three priority tiers and their members, the FGAM fund and the PFMCE programme figures, and the statements of the mines and energy ministry, Minister Marcio Elias Rosa and President Lula da Silva. Single publication at this hour, so the item is carried at evidence grade C. Developing item.

Brazil has designated 27 critical minerals in a push to develop its mining sector at home and reduce reliance on exporting raw materials. The National Council for Industrialization of Critical and Strategic Minerals approved the list on November 5, placing rare earths, graphite, lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, silicon and uranium in the high priority group, eight minerals including tungsten, vanadium and titanium in the medium group, and ten including niobium, iron and gold in the lower group. Only the listed minerals, in nationally registered projects, will be eligible for government support, and the classifications will be reviewed every four years.

The council also created a fund, FGAM, that can receive up to R$2 billion (about $364 million) from the federal government to reduce investment risk, alongside a federal programme with an annual funding limit of R$1 billion between 2030 and 2034. The mines and energy ministry said the list would function as the compass of Brazilian mineral policy, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the government wants to work with international partners on processing rather than control the industry outright.

Brazil designates 27 critical minerals for federal support

Sources