Energy transition & critical minerals

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Global Geopolitics and National Security

The Role of Critical Minerals Stockpiles in India’s Energy and National SecurityThis blog by Noel Therattil examines India’s critical mineral landscape, outlines the role of stockpiles as a policy instrument, and identifies challenges to their deployment in the Indian context.

Securing defense critical minerals: Challenges and U.S. strategic responses in an evolving geopolitical landscapeThe growing dependence on critical minerals (CMs) for advanced military technologies presents significant and escalating challenges for the United States (U.S.) and its allies. As global competitio...

BRICS, G7

ACriticalMineralsPerspectiveontheEmergenceofGeopoliticalTradingBlocs-RESPOL.pdf

BRICS Expansion and the Future of World Order: Perspectives from Member States, Partners, and AspirantsThe potential of BRICS members and partner countries to fulfill their individual aspirations via BRICS hinges on what vision of the future of world order ultimately wins out within BRICS.

Between global geopolitics and national interests: BRICS cooperation in the mineral sectorSince the onset of the Russian war against Ukraine, the resilience of mineral supply has received political attention in the US and in the EU, particularly due to China’s central position in these ...

Building Better Global Economic BRICs

Latin America and the Caribbean in BRICS+ New Strategic Regionalism and the Geopolitics of Trade and Supply ChainsThis article examines the recent integration of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries into the BRICS+ framework as part of a broader geopolitical shift toward multipolarity. It analyzes BRICS+ through the lens of New Strategic Regionalism, the author’s own theoretical contribution to the study of regional transformations in the Global South, and focuses on trade deflection under sanctions, and the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in BRICS+. The study uses a mixed-methods approach. Qualitative analysis of institutional sources is combined with quantitative trade data for Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. A case study of Venezuela is included, integrating trade microdata—Bill of Lading—to trace emerging supply chains and economic actors, and to examine Venezuela’s exclusion from BRICS+ and its subsequent geopolitical repositioning. Results show that BRICS+ functions as a space of strategic realignment for LAC countries seeking alternatives to Western-dominated trade and financial systems. Cuba and Bolivia were admitted as partners. Although excluded due to Brazil’s objections, Venezuela’s evolving ties with BRICS states reveal informal pathways of integration through South–South cooperation. This article contributes to four key research gaps: LAC in BRICS+; BRICS+ as new strategic regionalism; trade deflection under sanctions; use of trade microdata; and the geopolitics of supply chains. It challenges technocratic approaches by framing these geopolitical dynamics as anchored in contested global power shifts.

Critical Minerals

Critical Minerals Need a Full Operating System - NYU | DRIMining and stockpiles are not enough. Mineral security requires a competitive system spanning recovery, extraction, refining, advanced operations and manufacturing. Washington is assembling the pieces of a serious critical-minerals strategy. It is accelerating domestic projects, negotiating supply agreements with allies and supporting new processing capacity. Last Thursday, President Trump extended the Defense Production Act authority […]

Mineral_Resources_Policy_for_a_Circular_Flow_of_Cr.pdf

CFR_CSR101_CriticalMinerals_Full_2026-02-12.pdf

Rare Earths

Can Brazil and the U.S. Reach a Deal on Rare Earths?As Washington seeks to loosen China’s grip on high-tech and defense supply chains, Brasília holds a strategic play.

China’s rare-earth export restrictions | Epthinktank | European ParliamentIn response to United States (US) tariffs, and citing national security interests as a reason, China introduced two waves of export controls for rare-earth elements (REEs) in April and October 2025…

Viridis Mining and Minerals (ASX:VMM) on Investor’s Radar as Colossus Rare Earth Project Moves Toward DevelopmentViridis Mining and Minerals (ASX:VMM) on Investor’s Radar as Colossus Rare Earth Project Moves Toward Development

AidData | Power Playbook: Beijing’s Bid to Secure Overseas Transition MineralsJan 28, 2025 |

European Union Seeks Rare Earths in Brazil to Reduce Dependence on ChinaFour critical mineral projects in the country were selected to receive funding from the bloc

www.caixinglobal.com/2025-08-01/brazilian-rare-earth-sales-to-china-tripled-in-first-half-102347763.html

BNamericas - Brazil's US$360mn Viridis rare earths projec...Rafael Moreno, CEO and managing director of Viridis, spoke with BNamericas about recent developments and the next steps for advancing the project.

China to overpower Brazil in rare earths through 2050 | Latest Market NewsBrazil's rare earths extraction capacity will struggle to catch up with China through 2050, not unlike the rest of the world, according to the Brazilian energy transition innovation center (ETIC)'s deputy coordinator.

EU pitches Brazil a ‘more beneficial’ rare earths deal than US or ChinaEU’s Jozef Sikela promises refining investment and technology transfer, in a race for Brazilian minerals that the US and China already lead.

Will the US Serra Verde Acquisition Help Break China’s Rare Earth Monopoly?One of the primary drivers behind the acquisition, backed by the U.S. government, is to disrupt the prevailing Chinese monopoly in rare earths. Will it actually work?

EU to announce investments in five Brazil-based miners by MarchBrazil’s government expects European Union–linked investors to announce stakes in five mining companies operating in Brazil by late March, in a move tied to the bloc’s push to secure supplies of critical minerals, according to

As China tightens its grip on rare earths, can Brazil be an alternative source?China’s export curbs have forced the U.S. to find critical minerals elsewhere. Can Latin America keep up the supply?

Brazil jostles for rare earths share as US-China rivalry heats upWith the world's second-largest reserves of rare earths after China, Brazil is catching the eye of US and Chinese companies

Brazil rare earths miner Viridis to sell to US, European buyers, not China, CEO saysAustralian rare earths miner Viridis Mining and Minerals is in advanced discussions with potential offtake buyers in Europe and the U.S. for its Colossus mine in Brazil's Minas Gerais state, CEO Rafael Moreno told Reuters, adding ‌that the company was not pursuing Chinese interest.

Solvay and Viridis sign LoI for rare earth supplySolvay and Viridis Mining and Minerals have signed a non-binding letter of intent (LoI) for the supply of mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) from Brazil to Solvay’s La Rochelle facility in France.

Energy Transition

WB energy transition.pdf

Geology meets Geopolitics: The Global Race for Critical Minerals in the Climate transitionAs the world seeks to mitigate climate change by transitioning to renewable energy sources, geopolitical actors are entering a new resource race to secure access to critical minerals like lithium, cobalt and copper, crucial for green technologies like EV batteries, wind turbines and solar panels, as well as Artificial Intelligence.

The Geopolitics of Energy Transition: Opportunities for the Global SouthIn September 2024, scientists at the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that summer 2024 was the hottest on record globally, and the previous twelve months posted a average global temperature that was a record 1.64 degrees Celsius (2.95 degrees Fahrenheit) above the average during the pre-industrial period, 1850-1900. This was triggered by a combination of a warmer El Niño cycle and the effects of human-caused warming.

The Geopolitics of Access to Critical Minerals Necessary to Support Energy Transition | Global Energy Law and SustainabilityThe decarbonisation of energy systems, as a vital component of the transition to a low carbon economy, continues to generate demand for finite resources. These come in the form not of coal, oil gas, or other fossil fuels but in the form of a suite of critical raw materials, usually minerals, which are crucial components to the working of renewable energy supplies and associated shifts such as that to electric mobility. In this article we assess the rising demand for these critical raw materials and their role in energy transition. This is in the context of efforts to decarbonise energy systems in line with their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to carbon reduction in pledges made under the Paris Agreement. The article suggests that the Paris Agreement fired a starting gun in a pursuit of economic growth based upon the notion of a green economy. This has driven demand for the materials in question to a point at which we witness a growing protectionism within world trade. Having explained the features of the new protectionist stance, the article reviews the role of circular economy structures in building energy security through control of secondary critical material resources, before concluding with a call for the need for access to critical materials to feature more prominently in current debates on energy security.

Tariffs & Export Control

Ministry of Commerce Notice 2025 No. 61: Announcement of the Decision to Implement Controls on Exports of Rare Earth-Related Items to Foreign Countries | Center for Security and Emerging TechnologyRead our translation of a notice that expands Chinese export controls on rare earths.

China Issues Export Control Measures over Rare Earth Items

EVs & Batteries

How Chinese EV makers are winning in BrazilChina automakers have turned to emerging markets like Brazil to offload their massive supply. Brands including BYD now make up over 80% of EV sales in Brazil.

Brazil

HANNOVER MESSE Event 2026: MAGBRAS: Building a National Rare Earth Magnet Value Chain in BrazilTopic: Research & Technology Transfer - Expert Stage (Monday, 20 April | 10:55 - 11:35 )

Produção de ímãs das terras raras com ajuda da WEG, Tupy e Schulz tem início no BrasilA produção de ímãs permanentes com uso das terras raras teve início no Brasil, ainda em caráter de pesquisa. O projeto MagBras, que é pioneiro no país,

Resouro Joins MagBras Initiative to Strengthen Brazil’s Rare Earth Supply ChainRenewablesResouro Joins MagBras Initiative to Strengthen Brazil’s Rare Earth Supply ChainRenewables

Extração de terras raras em Goiás vira negócio bilionário com aquisição americanaComprada por 2,8 bilhões de dólares, mineradora amplia exportação para os EUA, que busca reduzir dependência da China

MagBras impulsiona a produção de ímãs permanentes de terras raras - FIEMGFIEMG, FIESC e BNDES se unem em um projeto para fortalecer a cadeia produtiva de ímãs no Brasil

Terras raras em Goiás: novo decreto cria marco regulatório no estado | G1O novo marco das terras raras em Goiás estabelece regras para industrialização de minerais estratégicos e oferece incentivos para empresas do setor tecnológico.

AGU pede ao STF que rejeite ação sobre venda da Serra VerdeÓrgão diz que questionamentos sobre venda de mineradora a empresa dos EUA cabem a setores de regulação. Leia no Poder360.

Brasil dá partida em projeto que fortalece autonomia tecnológica na produção de ímãs de terras rarasEvento reuniu 28 empresas e marca o início de uma iniciativa nacional com investimento de R$ 73 milhões para consolidar a cadeia produtiva de ímãs permanentes

Acordo Goiás-Estados Unidos sobre terras raras é inconstitucionalGoiás celebrou um acordo pelo qual toda a produção de terras raras na mina de Minaçu será, a partir de agora, exportada para os EUA

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