The Chamber of Deputies is to vote this Wednesday (May 6) on the bill that creates a regulatory framework for the exploration of critical minerals in Brazil.
The agenda was set by the president of the House, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), on the eve of a meeting between the president of the United States, Donald Trump, and president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), at the White House in Washington.
The rapporteur of the proposal, deputy Arnaldo Jardim (Cidadania-SP), presented the opinion on Monday (May 4) and proposed the creation of a council to centralize decisions on the sector.
Jardim presented the report after successive postponements of the project, at the request of the Brazilian government. The analysis of the text takes place amid recent tensions with Trump, who has again pressed for access to critical minerals and rare earths in partner countries. The subject is expected to be on the agenda of the conversation between Lula and Trump.
The vote also occurs after the then governor of Goiás, Ronaldo Caiado (PSD), signed a memorandum, on March 18, of understanding with the U.S. government on the exploration of critical minerals and rare earths in the state.
The initiative generated negative reaction, including in the National Congress. President Lula called the agreement a "disgrace" and accused Caiado of "selling" the country.
Meanwhile, lawmakers from the PSol sent a complaint to the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) against Caiado, requesting the annulment of the agreement.
Points of the proposal
The council, proposed by Arnaldo Jardim, will have the power to authorize exports of minerals and analyze international agreements, with the possibility of blocking those that represent a risk to the country's security.
This same council — called the Special Council for Critical Minerals (CMCE) — will also be responsible for defining which minerals enter the list of "critical and strategic." This list is not fixed: it will be reviewed every four years.
The idea is to ensure that Brazil not only exports raw materials but also advances in the following stages, such as processing and transformation within the country itself.
The text also provides mechanisms to track minerals throughout the entire chain, from extraction to destination. In addition, it encourages so-called urban mining, which consists of recovering valuable materials from electronic waste, used batteries and discarded vehicles.
The report also authorizes the creation of a public fund to finance projects in the mineral sector. The proposal establishes an initial contribution of up to R$ 2 billion from the Union, open to participation by companies. An estimate from the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) indicates that demand for investments in the sector could reach approximately R$ 5 billion.
Understand what critical minerals are
Critical minerals are mineral resources essential for strategic sectors. This group includes elements such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earths (17 chemical elements). These materials are fundamental for the manufacture of electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, solar panels and semiconductors.
*With information from the Metrópoles portal
