Brazil is emerging as a significant player in the global rare earths market, with its first major facility seen as crucial for the United States to reduce its reliance on China. The South American nation holds the world’s second-largest rare earth reserves, estimated at 21 million tonnes, trailing only China. The Serra Verde project, Brazil’s first integrated rare earth mine, began commercial production in early 2024 and is expected to produce 6,400 tonnes of rare earth oxides annually by the end of 2027.
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Brazil is emerging as a significant player in the global rare earths market, with its first major facility seen as crucial for the United States to reduce its reliance on China. The South American nation holds the world's second-largest rare earth reserves, estimated at 21 million tonnes, trailing only China. The Serra Verde project, Brazil's first integrated rare earth mine, began commercial production in early 2024 and is expected to produce 6,400 tonnes of rare earth oxides annually by the end of 2027.
- Brazil's Rare Earths Ambition Challenges Chinese Dominance
- Brazil holds the world's second-largest rare earth reserves, estimated at 21 million tonnes, positioning it as a key alternative to China's current market dominance.
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The Serra Verde project, Brazil’s first integrated rare earth mine, commenced commercial production in early 2024, focusing on critical elements like neodymium and praseodymium.
Brazil is rapidly advancing its position in the global rare earths supply chain, a move seen as vital for countries like the United States aiming to lessen their dependence on China. The nation possesses the world’s second-largest rare earth reserves, with estimates suggesting approximately 21 million tonnes of these critical minerals.
The Serra Verde project, located in Goiás state, began commercial production in early 2024. It is Brazil’s first integrated rare earth mine and is projected to produce 6,400 tonnes of rare earth oxides per year by the end of 2027, with a focus on elements such as dysprosium, terbium, neodymium, and praseodymium. These elements are essential for permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defense applications.
Beyond Serra Verde, other initiatives are underway. Viridis Mining and Minerals, in a joint venture with Ionic Rare Earths, is constructing Latin America’s first rare earth refining and recycling hub in Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais. This facility, known as the Centre for Rare Earths Innovation, Technology and Recycling (CRITR), is expected to launch operations in late 2026. It will process mixed rare earth carbonates and recycle neodymium-iron-boron magnets from industrial and electronic waste.
The increased interest in Brazil’s rare earth sector is evident in the surge of exploration applications, with over 86% filed in the past three years, including 268 in the first half of 2026. Foreign investment, particularly from Australia, the U.S., and Canada, accounts for nearly half of these applications. However, this expansion also raises environmental concerns, as some proposed mining areas are near protected regions and Indigenous territories.