Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told US President Donald Trump on Thursday at the White House that Brazil's rare earth reserves are open to investment from any country.
An SCMP report with the headline"Lula won't sideline China or anyone in rare earths,tells Trump refining stays in Brazil"said that Lula told Trump on Thursday that his country's rare earth reserves are open to investment from China and any other nation willing to process the minerals on Brazilian soil,resisting pressure to side with Washington in its contest with Beijing over critical mineral supply chains.
During the three-hour meeting with Trump at the White House on Thursday local time,Lula said that"Brazil wants to share its critical minerals potential with whoever wants to invest in the country-whether they're from the US,China,Germany,Japan or France."He also invited anyone to help Brazil with mining,processing,and producing the wealth that the country's rare earths offer,BBC reported.
Lula headed for the US on Wednesday for talks that were expected to focus on trade,security,and critical minerals,media reported.
"We have no preference.What we want is to share with whoever wants to invest in Brazil,"Lula said at a press conference at the Brazilian embassy in Washington after a three-hour meeting with Trump that ran more than an hour past schedule.
Upholding strategic autonomy
Chinese experts noted that Lula's remarks came against the background of the US'small circle attacking China's rare earth policies while using"de-risking"as a pretext to push supply chain restructuring that excludes China.
"Lula's stance highlighted Brazil's resolve to uphold strategic autonomy despite US pressure.Rather than joining an exclusive US-led rare-earth alliance,Brazil is positioning itself as an independent industrial player,leveraging its resource advantages to move beyond its traditional role as a passive raw material exporter,"Zhang Xiaorong,director of the Beijing-based Cutting-Edge Technology Research Institute,told the Global Times on Friday.
"This shows Brazil hopes to maintain an equal and impartial stance,and will not structure its cooperation around the rare-earth alliance system that the US seeks to establish.Brazil has not shifted its position under American pressure,"Zhou Mi,a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation,told the Global Times on Friday.
Brazil's decision to keep investment open to China objectively helps maintain the stability of the global rare-earth industrial chains and supply chains.This policy aligns with market principles and the inherent logic of industrial development,said Zhang.
According to Bloomberg,Brazil holds the world's second-largest reserves of rare earths and graphite and is the third-largest holder of nickel.The 17 rare earth elements are used in products ranging from electric vehicle motors and wind turbines to fighter jet engines and missile guidance systems.
Lula framed the conversation on rare earths as part of a broader argument about the US neglect of Latin America.He told reporters that China overtook the US as Brazil's top trading partner after 2008 because American companies stopped competing for contracts in the region,according to SCMP.
In 2025,Brazil attracted 10.9 percent of total outbound capital from China,followed by the US and Guyana,with 6.8 percent and 5.7 percent,respectively,Reuters reported,citing a report released on Thursday by the Brazil-China Business Council.
Analysts pointed out that the rise in Chinese investment to Brazil has reflected the growing ties between the two countries,with economic cooperation deepening in recent years from trade to investment and supply chain collaboration.
Stability of global supply chains
The Lula-Trump meeting took place as the G7 nations intensify their coordination to reduce reliance on China,which controls a large share of global rare-earth refining and magnet production.Chinese experts have warned that politically driven"de-risking"efforts excluding China risk deadlock,arguing that genuine supply chain security should align with free trade principles.
Some Western media have propagated misleading narratives such as"rare earth monopoly"and"supply disruption,"intentionally fueling geopolitical tensions and distorting perceptions of China's policies after the country released its export controls on dual-use items.
In April last year,China introduced export controls on seven categories of medium-and heavy rare earth materials,citing national security needs,the protection of its interests,and compliance with non-proliferation and other international obligations.Since then,Chinese authorities have repeatedly highlighted the use of facilitation measures-including general licenses-to ensure compliant trade and maintain the stability of global supply chains.
In response to a question regarding China's rare-earth export control measures,He Yadong,a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce,said at a press conference on April 9 that"China remains committed to safeguarding the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains."
China fully considers the legitimate needs and concerns of civilian sectors worldwide,including the US,and actively promotes and facilitates compliant trade.Export applications that meet the required conditions-such as confirmed civilian use-will be approved in accordance with the law,said He.
"In fact,China has always managed its rare earth sector responsibly and in accordance with international law and practices.As a major player in the global rare earths supply chains,China remains committed to maintaining supply chain stability,promoting sustainable resource use,and balancing the interests of all countries,"said Zhang.
By keeping its doors open on equal terms while insisting on domestic industrialization,Brazil is asserting itself as a sovereign actor determined to capture maximum value from its strategic resources,said Zhang.
Lula said he told Trump that Brazil had approved a new regulatory framework for critical minerals in Congress on the eve of the visit and was treating the sector as a matter of national sovereignty.
According to media reports,on Tuesday,Brazil's lower house approved a critical minerals policy bill that includes a$2 billion guarantee fund and$5 billion in tax credits over five years to promote domestic processing of strategic minerals.
"Brazil is proceeding from its own national interests and conducting international economic and trade cooperation based on fundamental market principles,"said Zhou.
Industrial observers also pointed out that normal,mutually beneficial China-Brazil rare-earth cooperation plays a constructive role in global supply chain stability.
As the world's largest processor of rare earths,China can provide technology,capital,and also a stable market to help Brazil develop its resources and build domestic processing capacity.This approach supports Brazil's goal of moving from a passive raw material exporter to an active industrial participant,while increasing diversified global supply and reducing geopolitical risks of supply disruptions,observers noted.
