EU’s Jozef Sikela promises refining investment and technology transfer, in a race for Brazilian minerals that the US and China already lead
European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela made the case during a week-long visit to Brazil that included a stop on Saturday at a rare earth research and processing centre run by Australian miner Viridis Mining and Minerals in Pocos de Caldas, in Minas Gerais state, one of four projects chosen to speed up cooperation between the two sides.
The bloc could cover its needs through offtake agreements, while Brazil built its own refining capacity and moved up the supply chain towards higher margins.