Brazil’s rare earths will not loosen China’s magnet grip this decade, researchers say
Brazil will not be able to make rare earth magnets from its own raw materials before 2032, the coordinator of the country’s main magnet pilot plant said on Wednesday, leaving China’s near monopoly on the technology intact for years to come. Andre Luis Pimenta de Faria, who runs the plant for Senai, the research and training arm of Brazil’s national industry confederation, told a public policy…
Brazil's rare earth reserves will not enable it to independently manufacture magnets for electric vehicles, wind turbines and military applications before 2032, according to the head of Brazil's principal magnet manufacturing facility. While limited-scale production could begin by the end of 2028 using imported materials, the complete process remains a distant prospect until 2032-2035.
The current reliance on Asian technology and foreign inputs leaves China's monopoly on magnetic materials intact for years to come. Pablo Cesario, CEO of the Brazilian Mining Institute, considers the projected timeline optimistic, estimating the average gap between discovering reserves and actual production at 17.2 years. China currently controls around 90% of the global market for rare earth permanent magnets, which are crucial components in various modern technologies.
In April 2025, Beijing imposed export restrictions on seven medium and heavy rare earth elements and the magnets produced from them, disrupting supply chains worldwide. Brazil possesses the second-largest rare earth reserves globally, and the competition over access to these resources has escalated into a presidential campaign issue.
Ronaldo Caiado, a presidential candidate from the state of Goias, has signed a critical minerals memorandum with the United States, while President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva accused opposition figures of attempting to "sell Brazil" to China. Despite these tensions, Chinese officials have expressed openness to partnering with Brazil, viewing the South American nation as a potential ally rather than an adversary.
Brazil's lack of domestic processing capabilities and the absence of a comprehensive national strategy pose significant challenges to its ability to diversify its partners and reduce dependency on Chinese technology.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
