Rare earths: why have these minerals become key to global geopolitics and Brazil’s future?
In May 2026, during a meeting at the White House, Presidents Lula and Trump placed rare earth elements at the center of their discussion, following months of meetings between Brazilian and U.S. technical experts. That same week, the Chamber of Deputies approved the creation of the National Policy on Critical and Strategic Minerals (PNMCE), a bill that still requires Senate approval and which the government presents as a milestone capable of reshaping Brazil’s role on the global stage.
