Brazil's National Mining Agency Supports Lula's Critical Minerals Agenda

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The National Mining Agency (ANM) of Brazil has expressed support for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's initiative to discuss the development strategy for the country's critical mineral reserves. The initiative convened senior government officials, experts, scholars, and representatives of related enterprises this Friday (10th), with Vale also among the invitees. The ANM's stance was formally conveyed through a letter to the president, signed by Acting Director José Fernando Gomes. It is reported that Director Mauro Henrique is currently on leave.

In this letter, the ANM, as the regulatory body, pledged to engage in "technical, efficient, and coordinated" cooperation with federal government agencies and other relevant parties. The ANM emphasized that its core focus is "building regulatory instruments aimed at balancing legal certainty, investment predictability, and the national strategic interest in value addition within the critical minerals chain." In the letter, Gomes specifically listed minerals such as rare earths, lithium, graphite, nickel, copper, niobium, and vanadium, noting that these minerals are "essential for the energy transition and technological innovation."

Gomes further stated in the letter: "We will mobilize the full extent of the ANM's technical and regulatory authority to provide a basis for improving the legal framework currently under review, and to establish models for the licensing and authorization processes of strategic projects."