EU Courts Brazil to Break China’s Grip on Critical Minerals

The EU is accelerating partnerships with Brazil to secure critical minerals and reduce the bloc’s heavy dependence on China.

Glass jars containing rare earths are pictured inside the storage room of Tradium, a company specialized in trading rare earths, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on Nov. 4, 2025. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

The European Union is stepping up ties with Brazil as it seeks to reduce reliance on China’s dominance of critical minerals used in electric vehicles, electronics, and defense systems.

EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela visited a rare earths project in Brazil this week during a trip aimed at strengthening supply chains and expanding local processing.