President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) said on Monday (24/11), that Brazil will not be an exporter of vital minerals and that countries interested in exploring the resources will have to open industries in the territory to generate income at the national level.
“We have to make a decision. We will not be exporters of vital minerals. If we want, we will have to manufacture in our country, so that our country can earn this money,” Lula said.
According to the President, it is “equally urgent” that countries are able to “identify needs and models for exploiting their mineral wealth in a sovereign manner.”
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The head of the executive authority added: “Either we benefit from these riches that God has given us and enrich them for our people, or we will see the usual countries digging in our country and taking our crude, leaving us with hunger and poverty.”
This came during the conclusion of the Brazil-Mozambique business meeting, in the Mozambican capital, Maputo (featured image). The Planalto holder will pay an official visit to the country on Monday. He arrived in Mozambique after participating over the weekend in the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Interest in exploration
Exploration of rare earths and critical and strategic minerals gained interest from the federal government, especially after the United States began to show interest in extracting the materials.
According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Brazil has the second largest reserve of rare earth elements in the world, accounting for 25% of its total.
Rare earths make up a group of 17 chemical elements that are essential to many modern products, from smartphones and televisions to digital cameras and LEDs. Although used in small quantities, they are irreplaceable.
The most important use of these materials is in the manufacture of permanent magnets, but these elements are also essential to the defense industry. They are found in combat aircraft, submarines, and equipment equipped with laser rangefinders. Precisely because of this strategic importance, the commercial value is high.
On October 16, the National Council for Mineral Policy (CNPM) was officially opened. In the presence of President Lula, the interministerial group decided to create a council dedicated exclusively to critical minerals, with the aim of advising the President in formulating policies for this sector.