Research to focus on rare earths, lithium, cassiterite, and tin in three mining regions
03/11/2025
Brazil and the United States are set to resume joint research to identify areas rich in critical minerals within Brazilian territory. Signed last year, the agreement initially planned studies in four states: Minas Gerais, Goiás, and a region spanning Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba.
Rare earth elements, lithium, tin, and cassiterite were among the key minerals targeted in the partnership, with initial sample collection already underway last year.
In January, Brazilian authorities were informed by the U.S. Department of State that President Donald Trump’s administration had decided to suspend the cooperation. However, in early March, the U.S. government reversed course.
“We received a delegation from the U.S. government, which informed us that all aspects of our agreement would be honored because the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that agreements already in progress must be completed,” said Francisco Valdir Silveira, director of Geology and Mineral Resources at the Geological Survey of Brazil (SGB), which operates under the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
“The decision to move forward was made because the agreement had already been signed, funding had been allocated, and Deloitte had been contracted for consulting services,” Mr. Silveira added.
Brazil was notified of the cooperation’s resumption during a meeting between Brazilian and American representatives at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC 2025) Annual Convention, one of the world’s leading mining industry events, held from March 2 to 5 in Toronto.
Strategic interest
Critical minerals, also known as strategic minerals, are essential for the production of electric vehicle batteries, mobile phones, solar panels, semiconductors, and military technologies.
Mr. Silveira highlighted Brazil’s significant potential to become a major global producer of rare earth elements, a market currently dominated by China.
Since the administration of then-President Joe Biden (2021-2025), the United States has sought agreements to secure access to critical mineral deposits in other countries, aiming to reduce its dependence on China. Mr. Trump has reinforced the strategic importance of securing these resources, making them a key point of negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine. The U.S. president has also focused on deposits in Canada and Greenland.
In Brazil, the cooperation agreement remains a limited-scale initiative, operating as a pilot project involving U.S. and Brazilian teams in the search for mineral deposits.
The agreement established three regions for the initial phase of joint research, carried out by specialists from both the SGB and the U.S. Geological Survey.
The first is the Seridó/Borborema region, which spans Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba.
“Last year, we conducted fieldwork there, including sample collection, geophysical surveys, and geological mapping. The final step was sending the samples for analysis,” Mr. Silveira said. The main focus in this region is lithium, with tantalum and niobium also drawing interest. Additional field activities were planned for April and May 2025.
The Alto Paranaíba region in Minas Gerais is another target area, where the focus is on rare earth element deposits.
The third area designated for joint exploration is the tin province of Goiás, where researchers aim to gather data on reserves of rare earths, tin, and cassiterite.
Beyond field research, the agreement includes specialized training for three SGB geophysicists by the U.S. Geological Survey. Additionally, the U.S. government is funding five scholarships for Brazilian researchers to visit mineral deposits in Finland that share geological similarities with Brazil.
The partnership was developed following a visit to Brazil last year by Geoffrey Pyatt, then U.S. Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources at the State Department.
Mr. Silveira noted that while U.S. financial contributions to the project amount to less than $1 million, the primary benefit of the agreement lies in scientific collaboration and laying the groundwork for larger-scale projects.
“The focus was more on scientific cooperation and establishing an initial partnership to advance toward bigger projects,” he said.
Before the Toronto event, Valor contacted the U.S. State Department’s press office, which declined to comment. Following Mr. Silveira’s remarks on the agreement’s reinstatement, Valor reached out again via email but received no response.
*By Marcos de Moura Souza — São Paulo
Source: Valor International