Brazil pushes to move up value chain of critical minerals

SAO PAULO, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Brazil aims to move beyond the simple extraction of mineral resources and expand its participation in higher value-added stages of global supply chains for critical and strategic minerals, the country's Ministry of Mines and Energy said Friday.

"Strengthening the participation of producing countries in global supply chains for critical minerals also means giving them a greater voice in defining rules, strategies and policies," said Gustavo Masili, general coordinator for strategic minerals and energy transition at the ministry.

The sector of critical minerals for the new industrial and technological era should contribute to "value-added generation, industrial innovation and regional development," the official said at the international seminar "Beyond Extraction: Value Chains for Critical Minerals," held Thursday in Asuncion, Paraguay, on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the Inter-American Development Bank.

"Brazil has important advantages, including geological diversity, the availability of significant mineral resources and a predominantly renewable energy matrix, factors that create favorable conditions for the sustainable development of the critical and strategic minerals supply chain," Masili said. ■