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Rare earths and critical minerals
The risks and opportunities
Perhaps the first question to ask about rare earth elements (REE) and critical minerals is what are they are and where they are? The US Geological Survey identifies around 50 “critical materials” judged to be essential for renewable energy projects, defence systems, and advanced manufacturing.... Read More
The global distribution of REEs and critical minerals – an accident of nature and geology - has been favourable to Latin America.... Read More
Across a range of mining sector analysts there is agreement that a global boom in demand for critical minerals has been taking shape in recent years.... Read More
It is widely believed that China has dominated the growing REE industry, and that it was much quicker than the United States to understand its strategic value.... Read More
According to a report by law firm White & Case the US government, responding to the challenge from China, has channelled more than US$1bn into Latin American REE and critical mineral projects since the start of 2025.... Read More
The European Union (EU) is part of the wider global rush to secure rare earth supplies and has expressed interest in working with Latin American countries to reduce their dependence on China.... Read More
There is a broad consensus that Brazil is emerging as the Western Hemisphere powerhouse for rare earths, based partly on the fact that the country holds one-fifth of known global REE reserves (and that only about a third of Brazilian territory has been mapped geologically, meaning reserves may be greater).... Read More
USA Rare Earth, a Nasdaq-listed company, said on 20 April 2026 that it has agreed to pay US$2.8bn to acquire Brazil’s Serra Verde.... Read More
Additional US proposals to develop critical minerals in Brazil have also triggered worries over national sovereignty according to news outlet Brasil 247.... Read More
Over the last decade Argentina has become a major player in the lithium sector.... Read More
In April 2026 Chile and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) designed to accelerate exploration, production, and processing of critical raw materials and rare earths.... Read More
Like Chile, its southern neighbour, Peru has a long history of mining production and expertise.... Read More
Despite significant rare earth/critical mineral resources, Mexico is seen as making a slower start in attracting foreign investment into the sector, placing it behind Brazil and Argentina.... Read More
Among regional countries Bolivia presents one of the sharpest contrasts between a potential critical minerals/REE boom on the one hand, and almost non-existent current mine production levels on the other.... Read More
Vale, Brazil’s largest mining company, has announced conditional interest in critical minerals and raw earths.... Read More
While rare earths are used for technologies – such as renewable wind and solar energy – that are expected to help reduce global carbon emissions, their mining, extraction, and processing can also be quite ‘dirty’ and have harmful side-effects; governments must strike a balance between the two.... Read More
By way of conclusion, it is worth making four main points.... Read More
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Choose from one of the following options
- Rare earths and critical minerals - what are they?
- Where are they?
- What is the outlook for demand?
- The US-China stand off
- Washington plays catch up
- The European perspective
- Brazil leads the charge
- USA Rare Earth makes its move in Brazil
- Concern over REE preferential access
- Argentina: the lithium RIGI story
- New Chilean government eyes value added
- Peru seen as player with “high geological potential”
- 2023 mining law holds Mexico back
- Bolivia moves away from state-led industrialisation
- Corporate moves in critical minerals and REEs
- Rare earths and the environment
- Conclusion – the coming boom