Brazil's mining revenue grew by 10.3% in 2025, with Vale restoring iron ore production to 336 million tons, while its copper and nickel operations were strong. The article analyzes how the mining industry has transformed after the tailings dam disaster, with over $21 billion in critical mineral investments, and the long-term impact of international capital inflows on Brazil's economic structure.
Brazil plans to open uranium mining to private enterprises, a policy shift that will attract foreign capital and technology, double production, and potentially reshape the global nuclear fuel supply landscape. This article analyzes the far-reaching impacts of this move on Brazil's economy, mining investment, and the international uranium market.
Brazil's new national mining plan PNM 2050 proposes reducing fertilizer external dependency from 87.3% to 34.9%. Combined with Petrobras' nitrogen fertilizer expansion, it has the potential to reshape the agricultural cost structure, but mining extraction and approval efficiency remain key variables.
The West seeks to diversify rare earth supply, and Brazil has become a focus due to its world's second-largest rare earth resource base and ion-adsorption clay projects. This article analyzes the economic potential, challenges, and global role of Brazil's rare earth industry.
Brazil's National Development Bank (BNDES) has announced collaborations with mining giant Vale and oil company Petrobras to develop critical minerals, while also planning investments in artificial intelligence and biotechnology. This policy mix signals a shift in Brazil's economic transformation: traditional resource industries and emerging technologies are advancing in parallel, as state capital redefines competitive advantages.
Based on data from the Energy Transition Observatory co-established by the Pulitzer Center and Repórter Brasil, this analysis examines the economic opportunities and social risks Brazil faces in the development of critical minerals such as rare earths and lithium, as well as in wind and solar energy projects. It reveals how resource endowments can be transformed into long-term competitiveness, and the potential constraints that community conflicts impose on investment and exports.
Brazil holds one of the world's largest rare earth reserves, but budget cuts and staff shortages at the National Mining Agency (ANM) have led to a backlog of exploration applications and severely undermined regulatory capacity. This article analyzes how this contradiction constrains the development of Brazil's rare earth industry and explores its impact on investment, exports, and long-term competitiveness.
Brazil is currently evaluating the first batch of seabed mining activities and is incorporating Vale and Petrobras into a collaborative framework. Its significance lies not only in adding new sources of minerals, but also in Brazil’s attempt to combine deep-sea oil and gas capabilities, mining experience, and national development finance, in order to make early arrangements for scarce minerals, marine technology, and long-term resource security.
