South America's bauxite-giant Brazil now bets big on critical minerals with policy push and rising investments
From being a bauxite-rich nation to now positioning itself as a potential global powerhouse in critical minerals, Brazil stands at the crossroads of industrial opportunity and sustainable development. Nestled in South America, Brazil ranks first in niobium, second in rare earths, graphite and iron ore, third in manganese and nickel, fourth in bauxite, and sixth and seventh in zinc and lithium. For bauxite alone, it boasts of having 2.7 billion tonnes of reserves, with output of around 30 to 33 million tonnes per year (until early 2020s), yet still has large geographical locations rich in these minerals untapped. The total mineral reserves in Brazil are over 34 billion tonnes as of 2022.
Vast resources yet modest output
The problem with Brazil is it lhas huge reserves where output is not at par. For instance, in 2024, Brazil produced 0.01 per cent of the world’s rare earths output despite owning 23.3 per cent of the world’s reserves. The country churned out 4.3 per cent of the world’s graphite and accounted for 3 per cent of the world’s manganese production despite of having 25.5 per cent and 16 per cent of reserves for the respective minerals. Only the average share to the world's bauxite production is relatively higher around 7 to 8.2 per cent.
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