US Critical Minerals Proposals to Brazil Go Unanswered as China Looms

At Latin America's largest mining fair, Exposibram, held in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, a senior US diplomat revealed that Brazil has not responded to two American proposals to formalize cooperation on critical minerals. The diplomat, identified as Lowe, stated that a draft framework agreement sent in February also went unanswered, and that Washington may have to wait until Brazil's presidential election in October for a response. This lack of a bilateral deal comes as the US races to build rare earth supply chains outside China, with a US-backed rare earth acquisition in Brazil nearing completion. Lowe was speaking alongside officials from France, Canada, Australia, and Britain, most of whom have signed agreements with Brazil that the US cannot secure. The session focused on how these countries intend to reduce China's dominance in mineral processing, though China was never explicitly named. The event underscores the geopolitical importance of critical minerals and the challenges the US faces in securing partnerships in Latin America.